


Written In The Body

by poetheather



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-22
Updated: 2013-12-08
Packaged: 2017-11-22 01:11:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 51
Words: 318,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/604174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poetheather/pseuds/poetheather
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being tortured by by Bellatrix changes Hermione in a big way. She decides that no one else is allowed to write her life and is determined to live her life her own way. This includes going after the love of her dreams. Now all she has to do is figure out who they are</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There will be a number of mature things discussed including torture, same sex relationships, violence and others… you have been warned. 
> 
> Also this is an AU after the events mentioned are listed. The changes are noted. If there is nothing noted you can assume that the events of the book have occurred.
> 
> PS. This is a work of fiction using the characters created by J.K. Rowling. They are not used with her permission. All actions follow the events of book seven of the series, excluding the epilogue. Any similarity between any person living or dead is purely coincidental and unintentional. If you happen to find your life reflected in this piece I’ll be impressed.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a revision of the first chapter

One

Every nerve in her body exploded in pain, a crawling, sharp, burning pain that had enough continuous variation that her mind could never become desensitized to it. It rolled through her body like a plague and destroyed all resistance, tearing down all barriers like tissue. Sound no longer came out of her as she had already screamed the air from her lungs and there was nothing left to pull air back in. The pain itself was killing her.

It ended in an instant and she was left gasping on the floor, desperate to take in air, fingers trying to find purchase on the cold stone, tears burning down her face. From above her, a sharp woman’s voice filled with tremendous malevolence spat at her yet again, “Well, what about the sword mudblood? I know you broke into my vaults.”

“No. Not real. It’s not real. Dumbledore made copy. A copy.” sobbed out Hermione, the pain still echoing along her nerves, making her wince with every slight move that brought about another firing. The pain was both clouding her thinking and making it razor sharp, focused mostly on the details. “Didn’t go your vaults.”

“Somehow, I don’t believe you.” said Bellatrix.

Her world again burst into the same unimaginable pain, her body convulsing with it, thrashing against the hard floor. Nerves were flayed by the spell, burning raw under the power of the magic until all she seemed to know was the white flare of pain, until she was again lying there on the marble gasping for air and weeping.

“You know… Draco told me that people say you are the smartest witch of the age and little Draco wouldn’t lie to me now would he, eh Muddy?” came the mocking voice from so far away. It was clear that the wild haired woman was enjoying every minute of this, drinking in her suffering like a drug.

“s’not… It’s not real.” It took real effort from her to gasp that out as her body protested. All she wanted to do was breathe and cry, tell Bellatrix whatever she wanted to hear, anything to just end this pain. Her body still smarting from the curse but she had to keep trying, all the while praying for a miracle.

“Really now, you still trying to pass off that pathetic lie?” sneered Bellatrix, drawing closer, kicking her in the thigh for some variety to the pain.

Hermione Granger lay on the floor of Malfoy Manor, eyes too full of tears to see the chandelier above them that she vaguely remembered from the start of this, body trembling from ravages of the Cruciatus Curse. Her mind was racing, faster than it ever had before, trying to find some way to escape, some way to get the boys and get out, so they could get the sword and the horcrux that she surmised Bellatrix had stored in her vault based on how vehemently she was torturing her about that one point. Another part of her mind however looked at herself, her state and was growing dispirited. Her whole life came down to this moment, being tortured by a madwoman and all she actually had were deep regrets of a life she had been too afraid to live. Harry and Ron had helped her relax over the years and be more openly herself but she had been so worried about the rules and what was “right” that she never really truly just let go and did what she wanted to do, had been who she wanted to be.

Her scream lasted longer this time as she had been able to get more air in her lungs thanks to that longer break. The pain must have lasted longer this time as she lost herself in a haze of white and red and when it stopped she convulsed uncontrollably for a short while. Her muscles protested against what was happening to her, drool trickling down the side of her face, muscles half cramping.

“W-we only have a copy. I swear.” protested Hermione, when her body had stopped and she could speak again, her voice raw. It was so hard to think and she was going with the only story that had presented itself when this had started. If only Bellatrix would believe her and stop. Part of her wanted to crawl inside her mind and hide away forever.

“I swear. I swear. Like I believe you, filthy mudblood. Your filthy blood is stinking up the place.” ridiculed Bellatrix, sneering down at her.

Somehow, somehow if she made it through this, she needed to forget about rules, forget about being the good girl that everyone expected her to be and wanted her to be. If she survived she needed to find a way to be free, to be herself, whatever and whoever that was. She had a few ideas but mostly she knew it was not even remotely the safe conventional schoolgirl she had been for so many years, too afraid of the comments of bullies and others to really spread her wings. No, she was something else but what?

“It’s just a copy. Just a copy.” Her voice was so weak as her strength was fading. She had no idea how much more of this she could endure.

“Shut yer gob!” spat the madwoman, flinging her arm at Hermione.

Her body again erupted with white fire coursing through her veins, over flayed nerves, her back arching up, as if it were trying to escape from the agony that was all she knew. It almost felt like she were a taut bowstring humming a tune in the key of screams and she could not even recall how they had gotten here. All she knew anymore was this floor, that horrible voice, and an existence, maybe even an eternity of pain. Why hadn’t she died?

When it was over this time, Hermione was in a bit of a daze, her mind having difficulty focusing on things, hearing a mad titter off to her side somewhere, something she had registered through her screams. Her head lolled to the side and she looked, almost unseeing towards the bannister, her eyes not quite able to focus. Cruel. All this was so very cruel, like the kids had been to her when she was younger, when they discovered she was smart, smarter than them. Cruel, like in the way they mocked her, taunted her, tripped her and more all before she found out she was a witch and her whole world transformed into something amazing. Their petty cruelties drove her even farther into books, even more into a world where it was safe to play by the rules, to follow directions, to stay close and listen to teachers, to be what others wanted you to be so they would care for you. If you were a good girl and the teachers liked you they could even keep the worst of the pain away.

“I think this stupid girl keeps forgetting her place. Is that what you are doing mudblood?” Bellatrix kicked Hermione in the side, keeping the girl from slowly curling into the fetal position.

Hermione tried to answer but words failed. All she could do was weakly sob and groan.

“I think the smartest witch needs a reminder of who she really is.”

Hermione’s left arm was pulled out from where it had been, trying to protect her body, the sleeve torn open and Bellatrix knelt alongside to her, whispering happily, “It’s a good thing this filthy mudblood can read else all our work would go to waste.”

A new pain burned out in her arm, a different burning than she had felt before and Hermione found that she could still scream and thrash a little. When she saw that Bellatrix was cutting into her arm with a knife, blood trickling down her arm as a salty fire burned in her flesh as it was violated, she started calling out in a scream ravaged voice, “No, no, no!”

Bellatrix was humming happily as she worked, taking her time in order to shape each letter perfectly. The pleasure on the woman’s face was chilling. She grinned down at Hermione, very pleased with her developing work. “Now you will always know who you are.”

Hermione glared at the witch. That woman was literally writing who she wanted Hermione to be in her very flesh, Bellatrix was writing her life. She was yet another bloody person trying to dictate to her who she was supposed to be. She twitched again as another letter was cut into her and another scream tore itself out. No, she was not going to let someone else write her life, no, not ever, never again!

The pain crested higher and she fell into darkness, shuddering into nothingness.

HGHGHGHGHGHGHG

Several things made themselves apparent to Hermione as she came out of the darkness. The salty air, the sounds of sea birds, the faint roar of the sea, and the softness of a bed underneath her, these things were all so unlike where she had been when she had lost consciousness that it made it hard for her to make sense of all of this. This place was so markedly different from her memories of pain that it was difficult for her to really grasp what this was. Nothing was familiar. Where was she?

She tried to move and then hissed in pain, as everything about her body protested what she was doing. Her throat felt torn up and the sibilant sound she had made was not helping. Even her eyes hurt to a degree and while she did not know where she was right now she remembered everything that had happened before the darkness engulfed her, including what she had promised herself. That meant that it was all true, that they had been captured, that they had been take to Malfoy Manor, that Bellatrix had actually tortured her for what seemed like forever, that she had that hated, foul word carved into her arm. She could feel tears start to trickle down her face as those thoughts shook her with the weight of those memories. Her body spasmed a little, muscles reacting to her movement and that made her gasp as the pain flared again, giving her a taste of the Cruciatus again. As she moaned, too devastated to scream, the door opened and before she could flinch away in walked a very familiar blond. She looked at her with some confusion not really believing what she was seeing. Rasping out with a voice that bespoke her discomfort, she asked, “Fleur?”

“Sshhh ‘ermione. I am ‘ere. You are safe.” replied Fleur rushing to the bed and gesturing to Hermione to not move.

Hermione stopped even trying to sit up and lay there looking at the former Triwizard Champion with some surprise. How could the woman be here wherever here was? “Where?”

“You are at Shell Cottage. It is mine and Bill’s ‘ouse on the coast. It is protected by a Fidelius Charm and is quite safe. No one knows you are ‘ere.”

Hermione closed her eyes and sighed, letting her body fully relax for the first time since she had awoken. All that Fleur said was good to hear. Hopefully that meant they were safe for now. Everything hurt and that little bit of tension had drained her more than she thought possible leaving her weak. She still hurt but thankfully it was not as bad as it had been back at the mansion. The pain was not a raging fire but a dull burn.

“I am going to change your bandages. This will ‘urt and I am sorry but it must be done.” apologized Fleur, her voice the gentle sound one used with the very sick or injured. That sound alone told Hermione just how bad off she was.

Realizing that this was inevitable, Hermione nodded slightly, trying to prepare herself for what was to come and wishing she had some sort of context. Fleur made the process as gentle as possible by using her wand for as much as she could but Hermione could not help herself, crying out in pain several times as agony lanced through her. Tears rolled down her face and she could see that Fleur was not pleased with how this simple act was hurting her.

The bandages on her arm were quite red but not soaked through completely in her blood, which was some small comfort. Once unwrapped, Hermione winced at the red flesh, the ends only barely trying to close, still oozing blood. Fleur cleaned the site carefully, pausing when the pain grew too much, and then pulled out a familiar bottle. Sniffling slightly as it all hurt, Hermione asked curiously, “Dittany?”

“Oui. Relax as best you can, I will be as fast as I can manage. This may sting a little.” Fleur smiled apologetically.

She hissed again as the essence of dittany burned along the cuts, its magic trying to reweave the flesh. Towards the end, it started to feel like she was being cut all over again and she bawled in pain, not even worried about trying to be brave. All she could remember was that woman and her foul breath as she carved happily into her arm. “I am so sorry ‘ermione. It is nearly over.”

The torment continued a little longer and then when her sounds dropped to weak sobs, Fleur delicately rewrapped her arm with a fresh bandage. Hermione was barely conscious, as her already low reserves had been depleted even more by the renewed pain caused by the healing. Her eyes were open a mere slit and her head lolled to the side as it was difficult to hold it up. She was too drained to do more to keep it straight. “I ‘ave a Calming Draught for you and potion to ‘elp ‘eal the effects of the Cruciatus. Thankfully, you were not under it too long or the effects would be worse. Ron and ‘arry could not say ‘ow long she ‘ad you under it. If I ‘ad any Dr. Ubbly’s Oblivious Unction I would give it to you, to ‘elp you forget what ‘appened to you as that might ‘elp.”

“No… no… want to re…” It hurt but she managed to swallow and get moisture to her raw vocal chords. She needed to make this point clear, so there was no misunderstanding her. “… remember. ‘s ‘mportant.”

“Very well. I don’t understand ‘ow that could be important but very well. Now drink.” Hermione had the two draughts that were offered and then felt a bit drowsy afterwards. This was not a bad thing because she remembered what her parents had always told her that sleep was often the best medicine. She drifted off thinking of them and how much she missed them. Right now she wished her mother was holding her, brushing a hand through her hair, and telling her it would get all better.

After who knows how long, Hermione came awake with a scream, as her body was seared under the pain of the Cruciatus while Bellatrix’s laughter echoed in her ears. The door swung open and Fleur and Ron burst in, wands at the ready. As Fleur started to come around side the bed Hermione flinched away from Ron. Fleur, noticing this, pushed him out. Once her wand was away, she moved to the bedside and asked, “Are you okay?”

Hermione panted, her ribs throbbing, and the bandage on her left arm again red with blood, her body aching from the pain flare and all of her muscles protesting. Her face burned from the salt of tears. She cried some more as the pain was just so overwhelming at the moment that she couldn’t help it. There was really no stopping this flood. After Fleur had finished treating the cuts on her arms again and giving her another Calming draught, the French witch asked, “Why did you flinch from Ronald?”

“Are we in private?” Hermione was somewhat nervous as she asked that.

With a few gestures and muttered spells, the blond nodded. Hermione sighed, looking at the ceiling, looking for the words to proceed. How could she explain this? It was all so vague and jumbled in her head but saying it aloud might help things fall into place. “The torture was horrible Fleur, simply horrible.”

“You don’t ‘ave to talk about it ‘ermione.” said Fleur, gently, resting a hand lightly on her shoulder.

“I do. I need to get this out before it eats me up. Honestly, I don’t know how many times she used the Cruciatus on me. I lost track at six or seven and I know there were more after that. I just kept lying to her, hoping she would believe me and all she did was make things worse. All I do know for sure is that while I was there I realized something about myself and I want it to change.” Hermione’s voice was flat, the brutality of what had happened to her still shaking her to her core. She kept having images of what had happened to her dancing in her mind and she tried to shut them out. Even those were trying to do it to her as well.

“And what does this ‘ave to do with Ronald?” It was clear that Fleur was not following along with her but it was little surprise as she wasn’t following herself.

Hermione sighed and turned her head to face Fleur, even though her neck protested the action, making her wince. “I realized that I wasn’t really living my life, at least not how I really wanted. I was playing it safe, being what other people wanted me to be and that my never questioning that, always following rules, all of that had only gotten me to that point, onto that floor. I felt and feel like other people have had more say in my life than I ever had. Even Bellatrix was there like all the rest trying to carve an identity into me. And while I was trying to survive I realized that I refuse to let anyone write my life again.”

She could tell that she was crying again and her voice was choking up some. It was getting harder to speak so she closed her eyes and concentrated. She had to finish this, “Right now, I think I just need time, time to get myself in order, to figure out who I am and what I want. Seeing Ron or even Harry, but especially Ron too much until I am better will only make that worse. Ron has too many notions of who I am and who I am supposed to be and I can’t take that right now.”

“Very well. I will tell Ron and ‘arry that you are still not feeling well and are not ready for visitors. I will think of something to get you more time. Let me give you something for the pain as I will not give you another sleeping draught. This way you can sleep or think as you need. But you should know, they are worried about you.”

“Thank you Fleur. Maybe letting them come up here for a few minutes to see that I am alright would be fine. Just to let them know I am okay. That might curb their curiosity for a little while,” offered Hermione, hoping for a happy medium.

“Potion first.” Once Hermione was able to drink the potion completely and the pain that kept rolling through her body faded some to a faint pulse, Fleur headed downstairs.

Soon the door opened slowly and a familiar red head poked around the door, “Is it okay to come in.”

Hermione rolled her eyes and said, “Yes Ron, just for a little bit.”

As the two boys entered the room, Ron seemed to be moving in for a hug. Hermione wanting to avoid that, knowing how she felt and how he hugged, snapped, “Ron, please don’t touch me. I hurt everywhere.”

“Right, sorry.” mumbled Ron, looking upset and awkward, shuffling a little in place.

“How are you Hermione?” asked Harry, coming close but not touching her, clearly respecting her boundaries. Never had the differences between the two boys been made clearer.

“Alive. I am very thankful for that. I don’t know how you both managed to get us out of there but whatever you did was brilliant.” said Hermione smiling at the two of them, quite proud of them for achieving the impossible. She then noticed that neither of the boys were smiling and actually looked sadder than a few moments ago.

“We didn’t. It was Dobby.” Harry’s voice was soft, almost tremulous.

She stared at him in disbelief. Dobby had rescued them? What was he not saying? “What happened?”

Harry looked stricken, deeply wounded from whatever it was that had happened that enabled them to escape Malfoy Manor. Ron continued, picking up the thread, saying, “He died saving us, Hermione. All of us. Luna, Dean, Ollivander, Griphook, all of us.”

Hermione looked confused the more the explanation continued. All those people had been there as well? All she had known was her torture. She had clearly missed so much. Thinking about the goofy sock wearing house elf, her heart went out to her best friend, “I am so sorry Harry.”

Harry just shrugged, trying to play it off like he usually did. “All this would be over if it weren’t for him. I just hate what happened.”

Harry needed a hug but she hurt far too much to give him one and she hated that. She sighed and then winced, as some pain flared up her back bringing tears to her eyes. Ron’s eyes widened at seeing this and he asked, “Are you okay?”

“No. The pain from the curse still affects me. I guess it will take time for my nerves to recover and I just need to rest in peace to do that. I am sorry for that.” Hermione was apologetic, but only just. She really did want and need this time alone.

“No Hermione, don’t apologize. Not after that. Not after what you endured. Take whatever time you need. You just get better,” said Harry as he stood. “Come on Ron. We should let Hermione rest. We’ll be by to check on you later.”

Once the boys left Hermione lay back deeper into the pillows and listened to the sounds of the tide rolling in and out. The sound was soothing and helped her mind to relax. This was what she needed, peace and quiet after all the chaos and pain they had been under in such a short period of time. It was like a balm to her. As her thoughts drifted she thought about Harry and Ron. They were clearly worried about her and that was sweet. They were both such dear friends.

That thought gave her pause and she had to look at it again. They were both… friends? She understood with Harry, as their relationship was far more like brother and sister than anything else but her and Ron? She had thought that they had been developing something more romantic before his departure had thrown a wrench into things. When he returned after he saved Harry, Ron had mentioned how he had felt about her. And she felt that way about him as well… right? She knew she had been having dreams for the past two years that were rather vague and half remembered about cuddles and kisses and red hair and touches and more and surely that was Ron. Right? She hadn’t been dreaming about someone else, had she? Her eyes went wide in fright; could she actually be in love with either Fred or George?

The idea was so chilling that it was easy to dismiss the idea. Than if she didn’t feel that way about him what did she feel for Ron? They were very close, about as close as Harry and she were, and she had felt hurt last year at school with that mess with Lavender Brown. Moreover, she had clung to his side when he was recovering from his poisoning. The way they fought about things. Didn’t that mean that she had feelings for him?

Hermione let her thoughts drift as she listened to the waves some more. No, she was going about this whole thing the wrong way. All she was doing now was making the issue more muddied, making a complete mess of things. She needed to approach this whole thing more logically, calmly, setting out her thoughts and feelings in a manner that allowed her to make sense of the whole situation without her emotions overriding things.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wincing from the pain that simple move caused. She let it out slowly, feeling some of the tension that had been building since her thoughts had turned this way leaving. Logic was somewhere where she felt safe, in control. Right, so where should she start? A simple listing of Pros and Cons? To the relationship or to Ron? She needed to figure out her approach, her methodology, because that had an effect on the results and she didn’t want to skew things. Well if she wasn’t feeling the same way towards Ron that she had thought she was supposed to be feeling then perhaps she needed to direct her thoughts towards Ron himself to see if that offered any clues. It was the best she could figure at the moment.

Starting off with Cons, so things she did not like… well one easy one off the top of her head was the way he ate. He simply devoured food and sometimes it was simply off putting. And there was his obsession with Quidditch and the way he fawned over that one team. Or his lack of intellectual curiosity. Or the way that he never studied, relying on her for all the answers. Or the way he seemed to never understand her feelings, which she had to admit he was getting better at. Or the way that he didn’t seem to have an interest in any part of her muggle life. Or the way that he got so angry so easily often over the smallest of things. Or how he had left Hermione and Harry when they really needed him and know the horcrux didn’t count because they all had been dealing with it. Or how he had done the same thing a few times to Harry for years. Or how he was kind of lazy except when it came to Quidditch or eating. Or how he hadn’t realized anything about her until after he had been poisoned and she had been there for him after having been friends for six years.

She sighed and let things go. She knew she could keep going but he was a good friend and if she kept going she would just get mad at him for things that were in the past and she had forgiven him for. To keep dwelling on them would only serve to stir up trouble where there was none. However it really did give her a good idea about the cons and that there were quite a few. So how about the pros?

Well, there was the fact that he was very protective of those he cared about and the way he gave his whole heart to things. Or that he was caring in a rather awkwardly adorable sort of way. Or that he wasn’t a bad looking bloke. Or that he could be clever sometimes, like when he played chess. Or that he did seem to care for her in his own manner. Or that he was very brave even when it came to spiders. Or that he could be sweet, sometimes, when he thought about it or Harry prodded him. Or that she was running out of things. She frowned. Surely it should be easier to think about good qualities about Ron. He really was a wonderful person and she cared for him deeply. But this train of thought seemed to indicate that he was not the person for her.

They really did not have a lot in common beyond their friendship and their desire to help Harry defeat Voldemort. Her parents, who had the kind of relationship she most wanted, were friends with differing interests but also had a lot of shared interests. They had a lot in common, had many shared opinions and worked together wonderfully and there was no questioning their love even if there were times when it was uncomfortable to witness. It was, in truth, what she wanted most in a relationship. Looking at Ron from that viewpoint, it wasn’t going to happen. They were too different to have that sort of relationship, to have that kind of happiness and she knew it.

Hermione started crying. It felt like her heart was breaking as she realized that all her dreams of her and Ron were for naught. What about her dreams, her desires? What about her wants for a happy future? There were many nights where she had dreamt of showing up at the Burrow with her family in tow, her spouse behind her, just out of sight and that had made her happy. This realization had robbed her of all that. She was crying again and muttering, “It’s not fair. It’s not fair.”

Her body ached again, the pain coming back, as the tension she was feeling aggravated everything. She whimpered as the waves of pain kept getting stronger, trying to call for help through clenched teeth, fighting the urge to scream, “Fleur?”

It hurt and her mind was a maelstrom, cut loose from what she had known. What did this all mean? Did she have to lose Ron? She tried to focus on what she remembered of the dreams she had been having for the last two years, of red hair, kisses, touches, long time lying together in beds, in the grass, in a tub but there were no clear details of anything else. It helped calm her some as the familiarity and comfort of that dream and those images wrapped around her and ramped down the pain. Those dreams had given her such comfort and they did still. Yet if those dreams were not Ron, than who?

She looked at her bandaged arm and narrowed her eyes in concentration. Right now it did not matter who it was. Right now all that mattered was that she needed to get better and that she needed to do what was right for her. Just going along and not upsetting people had been the old her, she needed to stand up for herself more and stop letting herself down. Because if what she was feeling about Ron was true than she just couldn’t do it anymore. Not to him and not to her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a revised version of the chapter

Two

The door to the room opened and the blond witch looked in with some concern, “Did you call?”

“Yes. Can I please get something for pain.” asked Hermione, wanting to wipe the tears from her face, but moving at all was still far too painful for any action so the tears just rolled down her face. She felt shame at that and didn’t know what to say or do.

Fleur wiped her cheeks dry with a piece of flannel, saying nothing about it and then gave her a sip of potion. “There that should ‘elp. I don’t want you to ‘ave too much. Do you want me to check your arm? It ‘asn’t been very long but a bit more dittany could not ’urt.”

Hermione nodded her head slightly. There was a burning in her arm that she just wanted to end and maybe the dittany could help. It was the best she knew of fro closing wounds. She then furrowed her brows in thought. She really needed to talk to someone, to get some feedback on where her current thoughts were leading her, so why not Fleur? “Fleur?”

“Oui?” The young woman looked up from where she was working on her.

“Can I talk to you, in private?” She was a bit nervous about talking to her but she really needed to do this. Since she hurt so bad that she couldn’t write to explore her thoughts, than talking to someone was the next best option.

“Of course.” The part veela witch gestured with her wand, saying something guietly, and Hermione guessed that they were now in complete privacy. “What is it ‘ermione?”

“I… I have been thinking… something different… because of my experience and… and I wanted to check with someone… to make sure I am not… crazy or that this is not a side effect or anything.” Hermione fidgeted as much as her injured body would allow, which wasn’t all that much. Telling anyone this was not very easy and she wished she could move to get some of the nervous energy out.

Fleur arched an eyebrow at that and then sat in the chair by the bed. “You can tell me anything you want ‘ermione and I will not be telling Ron or ‘arry anything unless you want me to. If it is a thing that is bothering you it will affect your ‘ealing and must be taken care of. We do want you to get better.”

Hermione nodded slightly, seeing her point, and summoned her courage, she needed to get this out and see if she was going insane. The way her thoughts were going she was no longer sure and that was not comforting after being tortured. “Well, I… uhm… I sort of realized, that is… that I might not really be…”

Fleur had a patient and somewhat amused look on her face as Hermione spoke which caught her attention. It was so unexpected that it helped her be able to say the next part. “…attracted to Ron.”

“Okay. And why is this a worry? I do not see this as a problem? Who you are attracted to is your business and nobody else’s.” Fleur seemed honestly confused with what Hermione was saying.

Hermione let out a breath she was not even aware she had been holding. That Fleur accepted this right off gave her some reassurance that this might be the right thing. But perhaps she needed to clarify things more, to make sure she was fully understood. “You don’t think this is strange?”

“I take it you ‘ad an epiphany about this under the Cruciatus? And this is why you do not want the memory of it affected?” asked Fleur rather pointedly, one elegant eyebrow raised.

“I do. When that was happening to me I realized I needed to stop sort of living for other people, for their expectations, their thoughts of me and live only for myself. Once I realized that I think I realized that I was sort of heading into a relationship with Ron because it was sort of expected, because we have been friends for a long time and I care about him, but while I love him I don’t think I am in love with him or will ever be in love with him. We… we just don’t mesh. Do you get what I mean? There is just too much about us that is different for us to really connect in a truly meaningful manner. Those differences, while there is some attraction, won’t bring us together but I think will drive us apart. Does this make any sense?” explained Hermione, trying to get the jangled thoughts out of her head and laid out to another person in an orderly fashion. It felt like they were simply tumbling from her head and that was not helpful. These thoughts had shaken her and she just wanted to find solace from someone else.

Fleur smiled gently at her, reaching out to touch her shoulder softly. There was a slight twinge of pain yet it was bearable. She accepted the comfort. “Oui, I understand. While I am not a full Veela, my grandmother insisted that my sister and I knew a great deal of the ways of the Veela, their Rites, their magics. Fundamentally, they are creatures of Love and we do know a few things about that subject that most witches and wizards don’t. So, yes, if your ‘eart is telling you that Ronald is not your love, then you must listen, for it speaks true. Your ‘eart must not, must never be denied. When your ‘eart finds love, true, pure love, that is a powerful thing. It is why I am with William even after ‘is attack when there are so many other men who would give everything they ‘ave for me to be theirs. My ‘eart wants him and I will not deny it. It makes me whole.”

This confession made Hermione smile, perhaps the first true smile since she had awoken. She had never really been too sure what to make of Fleur but this was helping her to understand the woman better. Dumbledore had spoken of Love being powerful. She and Harry talked about that in the tent, trying to make sense of it. To hear Fleur talk of it was quite revealing. “So what should I do? I am far more used to thinking about things and these emotional matters are awkward for me. I know Ron is probably wanting to spend more time with me and do what he can to make this relationship happen but after thinking about it, I really don’t want that to happen. There’s just no real thing there. And if we cannot be then we both have better things to do than try to make something work that is doomed to fail.”

“Well, right now you can always tell ‘im that you ‘ave no interest in things because of the torture and you need your space to ‘eal. Then when there is a better time to actually address this matter, you can tell ‘im without anything ‘aving started between you.” offered the blond woman.

Hermione lightly bit her lower lip in thought, weighing the advice. That approach really did seem to make sense and might even work. In all honesty it wasn’t like she really had the time to worry about a relationship at the moment anyway. They were being hunted by Death Eaters and trying to kill Voldemort, it wasn’t as if they had much free time that could be devoted to a social life let alone romantic entanglements. “That sounds like good advice. Thank you Fleur. I think that’s what I’ll do, at least for now.”

“I can tell ‘im that you are a bit touchy from the pain and trauma if you wish? That might give you some more space at the moment,” inquired Fleur. “After what you went through, making sure your ‘eart ‘eals is as important as the body.

“Thank you Fleur that would be lovely,” she said earnestly.

From what she could tell, this did afford her some space so she could start her healing. Her next day and a half were spent thinking over her resolution, Ron, Harry, what she wanted to do, her hopes and dreams. She also slept a lot, as the gradually lessening pain drained her greatly, sapping her strength and focus worse than her injury from the battle at the Ministry ever did while it healed. She woke often from those naps screaming, as nightmares of her torture constantly haunted her, with repetitions of what had happened or adding in the scarring of her face or dreams were there was nothing but the burning white pain of the Cruciatus and the cruel laugh as the only other thing known. The bandages on her arm were finally removed after several days and the word in her arm was a raw, red reminder of what Bellatrix had done to her but just looking at it made Hermione feel stronger, more determined than ever that she was not going to let someone else write her life. It angered her and made her want to fight against the ignorant bigotry that brought this about. That scar would become her talisman.

“Hermione!”

She smiled at Harry as he headed over from the doorway to stand alongside her bed, with Ron trailing along beside. He was shifting and looking away from her, clearly feeling awkward about this whole situation. The red head asked hesitantly, “Feeling better?”

“Yes, thank you Ron.” said Hermione with a faint smile. She did want to make this a little easier on him.

“Are you able to tell us what happened?”

“Besides getting tortured?” scowled Hermione. “Well, actually yes. She let slip that there is another horcrux in her vault. Well, more implied than said right out.”

“Then we have to get it!” Ron exclaimed.

Harry put a hand on his shoulder to get him to relax some as she was sure he could see the tension in her face. “I am sure we are all in agreement on that Ron, but let’s figure out a plan first. Hermione is still weak and it’s going to take a while for her to heal according to Fleur. There is no way we are doing this without her so let’s figure things out and go from there.”

“Wasn’t there some of Bellatrix’s hair on me when I arrived?” asked Hermione, vaguely remembering some falling on her at some point during her torture. She wasn’t sure so she wanted to check. Things were rather a blur after all.

“Uhm… yes… I think there was, now that you mention it. Fleur got you out of your clothes so gently that I think there is still some available. We also have her wand. Why?” asked Harry, looking at her askance.

“Well, if we start brewing now we can get a batch ready quickly enough so I can use Polyjuice to look like her and that way I can walk into Gringotts. That way we can get the Horcrux directly from the vault with no fuss.” suggested Hermione stating the first idea that came to mind.

“Hermione, that’s blood mental!”

“Ron!” chided Harry, getting upset on her behalf.

“No Harry it is. Impersonate the craziest witch in England? You must be mental yourself to even consider this. That torture must have done something to you if you actually think that would work!” Ron was red faced and gesticulating wildly, glaring at both of them, daring them to say he was wrong.

“Zat es enough.” snapped Fleur from the doorway, her accent growing thicker with her anger. “Ronald, out!”

He glowered a little at Fleur but left just the same, not wanting to argue with his brother’s wife, stomping the whole way. Harry meanwhile looked at Hermione quite seriously, trying to weigh the idea, and asked, “Are you sure that this is the plan we should follow?”

“Yes Harry.” Hermione looked at his tiredly. This was a terrible plan but given their resources it was perhaps the best they could do.

“Alright. I’ll get right on the brewing once we gather everything up. When you are feeling better you can help me convince Griphook that this is actually a good plan and will help the Goblins.”

She smiled weakly and yawned, feeling her strength wane. He smiled at her and said, “You know, you really are mental Hermione but absolutely brilliant. No one would ever expect such a plan because you would have to be daft to even try it. Get better. We can’t do this without you.”

Fleur came over and checked on her as Harry left, giving her some more potions to help with the pain, which Hermione allowed Fleur see. They filled her with a lassitude and helped her drift off to sleep. This time, instead of the nightmares that had been plaguing her, she had the dream again, the one where all she remembered was red hair, loving touches, passionate embrace, searing kisses, warmth and comfort enveloping her and strong, slender arms holding her protected from the world. It was the first time since the torture that she had awoken feeling safe and truly rested. She clung to that feeling as long as she could before the pains of the day could intrude.

Those dreams were not every night but as they continued and grew in length, Hermione began to get better and her pain got less. She was able to start moving around the cabin some, slowly but it was something. Even with that she still was spending the majority of her time talking with Fleur and occasionally Luna rather than anyone else. The Ravenclaw, while still a bit odd, was good company, helping Hermione keep Ron from crowding in to see her, allowing her the space she needed. The girls chatted a good deal about a good many topics both theoretical, informational and recreational and it was quite enjoyable. Even Dean came in a few times to see how she was which was a nice bit of variety as she had not spent a great deal of time with him at school. After an additional week and a half, she was able to move about for the most part without her entire body being wracked by pain with each step.

Sitting on the edge of the bed that she had spent far too much time in, she winced a little as she put on her bra. There were still some positions where her body still fired the pain from the spell through her, but they were only very brief flashes, more memories of the pain more than anything else which made her gasp each time. Pulling on her blouse, she buttoned it, thinking about what she was going to say to Ron and Harry. All of this rest and she was still at a bit of a loss. She felt better and yet she was about to go out into danger yet again. She sighed, and shook her head. What was she thinking? All of this had been hard enough when she wasn’t hurt. Now with this injury, how would she fare? With a glance at her arm, Hermione nodded, grabbed her hoodie and headed downstairs.

When she could see the main room, apparently Harry spotted her first based off of his comment, “Good Morning!”

“Morning Harry. Is there still breakfast or has Ron eaten it all?” teased Hermione.

“Hey!” protested Ron.

“There is still food, we didn’t let him eat it all.” Harry nudged Ron playfully with his elbow. “Come on, sit down. We need to get you strong again so we can pull this off. Oh, the potion is brewing just nicely, so no worries there. I guess after you eat we can talk to Griphook?”

“It would be for the best.”

That conversation went well, though Hermione lost her temper a little bit, even though that helped them as Griphook seemed to respond to that for some reason. Their plan was starting to come together. Harry had his invisibility cloak. Hermione would be polyjuiced and Ron would just be disguised and be acting as her assistant/ thug. And after they destroyed the cup, they would give the sword to Griphook as payment for his assistance as they agreed. Everything about the plan sounded as best as it could at this point, which was still shakier than any of them liked.

The visit by Remus, letting them know about the birth of his and Tonk’s son Teddy, gave everyone hope and made Hermione somewhat wistful. She knew she had no future with Ron, her list made that painfully clear, but the idea of having a kid called to her. The idea of the redhead from her dreams being either Fred or George gave her hives. She might actually kill Percy if it all came down to it unless he got his act together, which she doubted. Bill was married and there was no way she was going to interfere with his and Fleur’s happiness. That left Charlie as the only remaining option that she could think of and he was the Weasley she knew least about. She was certain that the hair color she was dreaming about was Weasley red. There was no mistaking that color for anything else in all honesty. She wondered what color her kid’s hair would be if their other parent had Weasley red hair. Sitting outside, watching the others playing on the beach, Hermione smiled at the daydream of her with several wavy haired redheaded children.

“Is it all right if I joined you.” asked Luna politely.

“No, go right ahead.” Hermione smiled at the blond.

“I have noticed you have been very thoughtful lately. I do hope you have not been plagued by Wrackspurts.” stated Luna with some concern.

“No Luna, I have just had a lot on my mind.” said Hermione, trying to make sure that Luna was not overly worried for her.

“Oh, then you were just thinking about them.” Luna turned to look at the water. Ron, Harry, Dean, and Bill were all playing by the water. Fleur was inside making lunch, with Griphook and Mr. Ollivander.

Hermione turned to look at the blond, somewhat confused by her statement. While it sounded vague to those who did not know her, Hermione could tell it was actually quite specific. “Thinking of who?”

“The one you love of course.” Luna answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Hermione blinked a few times as she tried to make sense of that statement. Luna looked worried at the look on the girl’s face and said, “Oh dear, did some wrackspurts get you? I don’t have my glasses with me so I can’t tell for sure.”

“The one I love?” How did Luna know about that?

Luna nodded, “Oh yes. You get that look from time to time and you always have for the last few years. I figure it would have to be about love to make you smile so. Am I wrong?”

Hermione found that she could not argue with Luna’s observation. The girl was somewhat right after all as her train of thoughts was tangentially connected to that especially there at the end. “Well, I don’t exactly have a person I love right now but I can see some things, from my dreams.”

“That’s nice. Dreams can tell us a lot.” Luna gave Hermione her usual smile.

Hermione groaned. “Don’t tell me you believe that stuff that Professor Trelawney teaches?”

“Well… not exactly. Dreams are sure to have meaning and they are very powerful. They can drive us and inspire us. You just told me yourself that this dream of love makes you happy.” stated Luna with a soft smile. “Maybe your dream is trying to tell you something or gives you a clue.”

“Thank you Luna, I will have to think about that.” Hermione rested a hand on Luna’s arm.

“I am going to see if there are any more jam tarts.” Luna got up and headed back inside.

The girl had offered up a point of view that Hermione had not really considered before and one that was somewhat compelling in light of things. If only she could remember more of that dream she kept having maybe she would be able to figure who this person was. The details were so elusive and the more she thought about it the faster they faded like smoke. Who knew, for all she knew it could very well be Ron but until she knew more how would she know?

In time she was all better, at least good enough to do this, and the polyjuice potion was ready. Griphook was convinced to help make this happen though it took some work, he would do this thing in return for the sword of Gryffindor. Hermione had practiced with Bellatrix’s wand once casting magic did not cause her pain and she eventually got it to obey her after a while, though it felt strange to be using it. This wand was nowhere as comfortable as her own, especially when she realized that this was the wand that had tortured her and had caused her the pain that had created her problems.

Looking down at the potion she was unsure if she could do this until she glanced at her arm and the word carved there, staring back at her, driving home the need to do this. She drank it down the disgusting grey glop, gagging at the utter foulness of the taste. Essence of Bellatrix was repugnant. After her body had finished shifting she dressed quickly, they said their goodbyes and left Shell Cottage to attempt the utterly impossible task of breaking into Gringotts to steal something from a vault. It would take a miracle.

The plan went as well as their plans usually did and they only really had a true chance to breathe when they made it to Hogwarts, where Neville, Ginny and Luna had been busy keeping Dumbledore’s Army alive until Luna had been taken. Finding out that Ginny was alright thrilled Hermione, as the youngest Weasley was her closest female friend and she had been worried for her. This whole year she had been in Hogwarts without any support from any of her family or Harry or her. Sure she had Neville and Luna to back her up, but still it couldn’t have been easy for her. They only had a chance to catch up and hug briefly before the needs of the quest drove them on into the castle.

Once she had stabbed the cup with a basilisk’s fang and she and Ron had reunited with Harry, Ron mentioned that he was worried about the house elves. Hermione was overcome with emotion, that Ron would actually think about such kind and generally helpless creatures in such a way but managed to refrain herself so that simply hugged Ron tightly, not wanting to give him the wrong impression about things. She cared about him, she really did, but wanted to make sure he knew that there was not anything other than friendship between them, especially after she had spent all that time at Shell Cottage trying to make that point clear to him. She did not want to have to deal with an overly emotional Weasley just before a battle.

Things got worse and worse as the day wore on and Hermione kept twitching slightly or felt the ghost pain from the Cruciatus flare through her when the pressure got a little too high during the fighting. She would look at her arm or grab the scar if she did not have the luxury of looking. That simple act kept her motivated and calmed her down as she honestly just wanted to curl up somewhere and cry at all of the horrors she was witnessing. This whole situation was terrible and made her sick to her stomach, at the growing numbers of atrocities. Finally there was a pause in the battle, and while the Death Eaters gave them some time, there was a regrouping in the Great Hall. That was where things got worse again.

Ginny was crying, sobbing out in her pain. Hermione rushed over once she found out Fred had died knowing that Ginny would need someone. It was clear that her mother could not be there for her as her father was consoling her and she could not spot Harry. She hugged the girl tightly and said into her hair, “Shhh… it will be alright Ginny.”

“How? How will it be alright? He’s dead. Fred’s dead because some Deatheater killed him. How is it ever going to be alright again?” The red head slumped some more, her slender arms holding on weakly, her legs wobbly.

Hermione did the only thing she could think of, finding a seat and taking the distraught girl into her arms, rocking her gently. It didn’t matter to her that it was awkward or that Ginny was heavy. It needed to be done. “I know this hurts Ginny and I know this is crazy. But we only have to survive a little longer, kill Nagini, and we can finish this. We need to keep fighting so that Fred, so that all of this will have not been in vain. Just think, after all of this work, if You-Know-Who dies, it would be the ultimate joke on the Deatheaters. Fred would approve.”

Ginny snorted and then started crying again, but it did not sound to Hermione as if it were as raw and as pained as it had been before. She just held the red head, with a slight feeling of contentment in her. Running a hand over the red hair in a comforting gesture, she just tried to make Ginny feel a little bit better. She knew that this would not serve to take all the pain away or even part of it but if it would serve to keep Ginny together through to the end than it was all worth it. That seemed to work until someone rushed in letting everyone know that the Death Eaters were on their way back.

Hermione’s heart felt crushed when she saw Harry’s body lying there in Hagrid’s arms. She screamed even though there was a burning ache in her chest. There was no way that this could be real. He couldn’t be dead. And there, there was that bitch smirking at her knowingly. This all hurt worse than the torture had, bringing up the memories, tearing open the barely scabbed over mental wounds and throwing it all back in her face. And then Neville stepped up, refusing to yield, showing a courage that dwarfed every other Gryffindor’s. Then Harry, Harry somehow, somehow he, and then she found herself fighting again, right in the thick of it.

A very short while later she found herself locked in a battle against Bellatrix with Ginny and Luna aiding her. Spells were flying as fast as she could cast them and still it wasn’t fast enough. The woman was good, even when not using her own wand she was able to hold her own against the three of them, slipping around spells almost like smoke, using a shield only when necessary. It was crazy. Her heart fell again when a bolt of green lanced towards Ginny and she was sure it would be the end. Molly took over the battle at that point and she raced over to make sure Ginny was okay.

The red head was lying on the floor, trembling and watching her mother in wide eyed disbelief as she kept pressing into Bellatrix, driving the Senior Death Eater back. Hermione sighed in relief that the girl was fine thanks to her Quidditch honed reflexes and watched as well, doing what she could to protect them both while Molly Weasley eventually killed Bellatrix. Once that duel was over Hermione got to her feet, ran over and savagely kicked the body several times, screaming out her rage against her tormentor. Ginny pulled her way and then they fought their way back to the courtyard, determined to see what was going on.

There Harry was battling Voldemort. It was an incredible struggle. Their wands linked with the priori incantum and power was flooding the area. Hermione knew better than to step out there as that would be suicide with the amount of magical energy that was churning around out there. With one eye towards making sure she was safe and the other towards the battle being waged, she watched as Harry defeated the Dark Lord, and the man who had been terrifying Magical Britain for so long fell over, dead.

Hermione and Ron raced over to Harry, ecstatic, cheering. Hermione was slightly worried about the somewhat flat look on Harry’s face, how emotionless he seemed but kept telling herself that Harry was just in a bit of shock that it surely was not something worse, that it couldn’t be something worse. They were the victors after all. Voldemort was defeated! The battle wound down as news of Harry’s victory spread, and as it did people started filtering out to into the rubble filled courtyard to congratulate Harry and the others, who stood there in a kind of daze.

Later that night, after the prisoners had been secured, there was somewhat of a victory celebration in the Great Hall, and Hermione sat there, drained and stunned, sort of blinking at everything, trying to process what was actually happening around her. Was it really over? Was the war that had been waged since she had been at the school finally over? It seemed so unreal. Despite having watched it happen it seemed so hard to believe. She was tempted to pinch herself but a part of her was afraid that it would bring her back to Malfoy Manor and she would rather be stuck in this fantasy than return there to find herself panting on the marble floor.

Harry was sitting next to her in pretty much the same state he had been in earlier, the flat, numb look still on his face. He looked ragged and beat down, like he was barely hanging on. Across from them, Ginny sat with her head on her mother’s shoulder clearly trying to absorb everything that was going on at the party, though her eyes would occasionally go in and out of focus. Ron came up with a plate laden with food that the house elves had managed to make for everyone between the end of battle and now. He sat down on the other side of Harry and looked at everything before saying, “Bloody hell, is it really over?”


	3. Chapter 3

Three

It had been a month since she had seen him and a lot had changed for her in that time. If this had not been an urgent call by Harry she was not sure if she was even ready to see him or anyone else for that matter. Yes she was ready to make changes in her life but letting other people know about them… she was still working on that part of things. If only her mother would stop laughing about that the whole process it would be easier.

Her parents had been a bit irate at her for wiping their memories last year and sending them away but understood once she had sat them down and explained the full scope of matters. Once that had been accomplished, and a little sightseeing and shopping done, they had been ready to leave Australia, as her parents had been of the opinion that it might be a good place to visit for holiday neither really wanted to live there on a permanent basis. There were far too partial to England.

And so Hermione had spent a lot of time explaining to her parents all about the war and things she hadn’t told them because she had been afraid they would worry and keep her out of school. They were not happy when they learned about the full scope of what had been going on in the magical world and the war against Voldemort but were quite relieved to hear that it was over. She had done a lot of apologizing and spent a lot of family time, just reconnecting to a family she had dearly missed. Her mother had taken her to the salon when she wanted to get her hair cut. Her mother had also taken her shopping several times when she indicated that she wanted to change her look some. There were also trips with her father as well so that he wouldn’t feel left out. There was no doubt that her family was quite involved in the changes that were occurring in her life and that brought them together. Even though her father was bemused that Hermione was worried about seeing any one from the magical world as her life changed more, her mother just laughed at the irony. And in all honesty, Hermione did as well.

But it was Harry who had sent a message to her and if he needed her assistance than there was no way that she would ever let him down. No matter what changes she made in her life that one would never change. So despite her overwhelming urge to just hide and not see anybody just yet, she knew that she had to do this at some point. And the more she thought about it the more she realized that Harry would probably be the best first person to tell as his response would be the most relaxed and happy for her. Harry had always treated her well and had always looked out for her as well. Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as she was worried about, at least that was her hope.

With that she found herself knocking on the door of number 12 Grimmauld Place in early June with some trepidation. Her thoughts were awhirl as part of her was dreading this and part of her was looking forward to this. She did not have to wait long as Kreacher opened the door and saw her. Hermione knew something was wrong when she noticed that the house elf looked actually a bit pleased to see her. What could be going on that was worrying Kreacher so much that he was glad she was there? “Master Harry has been expecting you.”

“Thank you Kreacher. How have you been doing?” she asked politely, wanting to be friendly towards the normally grumpy house elf. That way she might be able to get some clues as to this feeling of dread that was growing.

“Kreacher is fine. This way.” He brusquely ended things and turned, leading her with some haste back inside.

Hermione noted that the house had not really been changed very much from the last time they had been here. It was still dark and gloomy, still fairly dirty all things considered. It had to be a very depressing place to stay. She understood why Harry was staying here but to not change anything in the month she had been away? How could Harry stand to live like this? What was going on?

Walking into the living room, she spotted Harry where he was huddled on the sofa, clasping his knees, but he did not look right. It looked like he had not shaved in a while and had somewhat of a patchy beard growth that when combined with his wild and apparently unwashed hair made him look like he had mange. His clothes also looked filthy. He looked like some sort of street person, or almost as bad a Sirius did the first time they had seen him. She gasped in shock at the sight, making Harry look up. “Harry!”

He started and began going for his wand before he realized it was Hermione and then he sighed and relaxed again, lowering his head to his knees, groaning. His hands were trembling. “Hi Hermione.”

She rushed over and looked down at him, looking to see if there were any obvious injuries. “What has happened to you?”

He looked up at her and cocked his head as he took in her appearance, from her slightly shorter than collar length hair to her somewhat more feminine clothes and nice boots.  His eyes widened some as he took this all in and he said, “Uhm… wow Hermione you look…”

Hermione nervously asked, “What?”

“Really nice. Different but nice.” Harry gave her a faint smile that barely touched his eyes.

Blushing, Hermione grinned and said, “Thank you. I felt like I needed a bit of a change and so I did. You… you certainly have changed as well.”

Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head ruefully, “I look ruddy awful you mean. I know.”

“So this isn’t a lifestyle change?” lightly teased Hermione.

A surprised bark of laughter came out of Harry, “Oh Merlin Hermione… I missed you.”

“I missed you too Harry. I know I didn’t see you when I spent a week with Ginny, helping her deal with Fred being gone, and then I only saw you briefly at the funeral. And then I went and got my parents. Since then, my family and I have all sat down several times and talked about everything that has gone on the last couple of years, and I told them of my decision to go back to finish my seventh year. It’s been pretty crazy lately.” She noted that he winced some when she mentioned Ginny’s name. “I take it then that you haven’t seen Ginny?”

He shook his head and looked down at the floor. She could tell that there was some color in his cheeks. “No I haven’t. I haven’t really seen anyone. You are the first person I have let into the house in two weeks. I haven’t even answered any owls either. I realized yesterday that I needed help so I sent something to you. So thank you for coming.”

“Oh Harry…” Hermione’s heart went out to him. It was clear to her that he was hurting a lot. She was wondering what was going on.

“I just can’t Hermione… I… I just can’t.” Harry’s voice trailed off at the end, unsure what to say. He seemed really troubled and a bit shaky.

Hermione stood there a moment, trying to figure this out. What exactly was going on with Harry that he was this upset? “Have you told her?”

“Ginny? What told her that I’m a nutter who’s afraid to go outside and jumps at loud noises?” countered Harry, growing somewhat irate.

“Harry!” protested Hermione, quite irritated with him.

“It’s true Hermione. It really is. Two weeks ago I went out, that was the last time I went out just so you know, and I heard a noise, maybe a car backfiring, a trash can falling, I don’t even know, but whatever it was it was loud and startling. Next thing I know I had my wand out and I started firing spells in that direction before I disapparated away. I… I don’t even really know what happened back there Hermione. That scares me. I’m almost as bad as Madeye was, I really am. I… I’m not really fit to be around anyone unless I know I’m safe and even them I am not that good. I can’t and I won’t subject Ginny to that. I won’t subject anybody to that.” Harry rocked himself as he spoke, his eyes never really stopping in one place, mostly checking entrances and corners. Hermione moved out of his sight line of the doors, just for safety reasons.

“So what is it that you want me to do? I suppose you owled me here for a reason?” Hermione already had a good idea given the state that Harry was in but she needed to hear it herself. Just going off of supposition was a terrible way to do anything. This was one of those situations where she really wanted to know exactly what was wanted from her before she started compulsively helping like she usually did.

Harry looked down at the dirty carpet, seeming rather sheepish and all the world like a worried little boy. “Uhm… I know this is not the best way to do this and it is a terrible imposition to you and you really have no reason to say yes to this but… uhm… could you maybe tell her what is going on and that I… I can’t resume our relationship?”

Hermione rolled her eyes, asking for patience from the boys she knew so very well. So it was what she had thought and as usual one of them wanted her to fix the problem. She could say no but he really was adorable when he looked like that, however his condition had to change. This would simply not be tolerated. No if she was going to do his dirty work than she was going to ensure that he was no longer going to be dirty. It was the least she could do for herself. “Certainly Harry, I should be able to do that, but under one condition.”

“Anything Hermione, anything you want. You are a life saver.” Harry looked quite relieved.

“Right. Then you need to hop upstairs and take a shower and put on some clean clothes. Honestly Harry James Potter, I know you feel terrible about things and jumpy but this house is under a Fidelius Charm, you can cast protective spells on several doors, Kreacher can warn you of intruders and you can take your damn wand into the shower with you. You have no excuse to be a filthy slob!”

Harry flinched under the onslaught and meekly replied, “Yes Hermione.”

“Now march upstairs. Go!” She stood and pointed in the direction of the stairs, clearly brooking no argument from him.

Harry raced upstairs as if Snatchers were after him and Hermione just snickered at the sight. Clearly she still had her Prefect voice down pretty well despite not having used it for a whole year. Besides, she had the boys trained pretty well, despite everything. Between Molly and her they just reacted to that tone quite well. Shaking her head in amusement, she called out politely, “Kreacher?”

“Yes?” The old house elf walked in, seeming pleased to see her alone. “Master Harry is not here? He is bathing? Good. What can Kreacher get you?”

“Can you get me some tea please? Thank you Kreacher.” Hermione was trying to think about the problem that Harry was presenting, trying to match it to symptoms that she was familiar with. This sounded so familiar to her but she needed more to narrow this down. Maybe she could get more information from Harry?

After a moderately short while, Harry came back downstairs in different clothes, his hair still wet, and clean shaven. He was clearly embarrassed by everything and shrugged. “Sorry Hermione.”

“It’s okay Harry. You just need to take better care of yourself. So tell me what has been going on.” She said with a smile.

He seemed a bit reluctant and then he looked away from her and started talking, “Ever since I killed Voldemort I have been having trouble sleeping. I keep having nightmares where I wake up screaming, not every night but often enough. I am tense and nervous all the time. I am worried about things. The day will be going along fine and then I’ll be in a kind of… I don’t know… waking dream where I am back there, in one of the battles or worse when I am there in the Forbidden Forest just before he kills me. You know about the jumpy and on edge. I… I just don’t know what to do. I think I’m going crazy.” Harry looked at the far wall when he said this, not really seeing her.

She was just nodding her head along with him, as all of this was making so much sense. What he was describing was falling into place with something she knew about and was worried she herself had, but clearly to a lesser degree. “Harry, I think you are describing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and I can honestly say that I am not surprised. After everything you have been through I am surprised that you have not gotten it sooner. I think you need to see a healer, to see if they can deal with this sort of thing. And if there is no one at St. Mungo’s who can help you we can get you a muggle therapist. You just describe it to them as combat trauma, disguise the magic and make yourself look older. But you need to get better.”

Harry sighed. “You’re right. I just… I feel weak for letting this get to me.”

“Am I weak for still having nightmares and occasional flashbacks about my torture?” asked Hermione.

Harry blanched some, afraid he had offended her. “Uh… that’s not what I meant.”

“But that is what you said. If you are weak for that, than I must be weak for this, right?” followed up Hermione, one eyebrow raised in question, refusing to let go of this point.

“Forget I said anything.” backpedaled Harry. “I’ll go and find someone to help me deal with this. I promise.”

“Thank you Harry.” Hermione smiled in relief.

“Are you seeing someone?” Harry was clearly curious about what she was doing to deal with all of this on her end of things.

“Well, Fleur was a great help to me right after it happened. We spoke daily about everything. Luna helped as well, believe it or not. I did speak to someone for the last few weeks about my nightmares, but I only told them it was about a scary accident I had where I got hurt, since it was a muggle therapist. That has been somewhat helpful. Now that I am more settled here, I might just join you in the quest to see if there is someone at St. Mungo’s.” With a smile, Hermione answered him.

Harry smiled weakly at that. “That’s great. Thank you so much Hermione. I knew that you more so than anybody else would be able to help me. So, how about you and Ron?”

She sighed heavily and shook her head, “That relationship is simply not going to work. What I told him before Gringotts still holds true. I just don’t see him in a romantic manner. There are too many differences between us and those differences would keep us apart and ruin any chance we might have.”

“I thought opposites attract?” asked Harry somewhat confused.

“Well yes that’s true, to a degree, but for a lasting and strong relationship you actually need something to base it on and we really did not have anything for that. We did not have enough things in common for that to happen. You have to admit that we argue more than anything else and not in a good way. I did not enjoy the prospect of being in a couple that bickered all the time. So, just no. It would only hurt Ron and I in the long run.” Hermione made sure that this was said with a note of finality, so that Harry would be able to let Ron know that there was no changing her mind if, not when he asked Harry what he thought.

Harry nodded, as if he had been expecting that particular answer. “Well, I can’t say that I am surprised. I always imagined you with someone who was at least comfortable with the Library and Ron never really was. So is there anyone you have your eye on?”

Hermione thought about her dream, which she had still been having off and on, which she had been able to get a few more detail out of but nothing that was able to help her out more with identifying who it was about. All she had was red hair, a warm smile, welcoming arms, and now freckles. That really did not narrow things down very much as it could still describe all of the Weasleys that she had met. She shrugged, “No. There is no one at the moment but maybe there is the dream of someone. I just know I am not going to give up and I know that I am going to chase what I want no matter what.”

Harry blinked a few times when he heard that declaration and looked more closely at her, “No matter what? Really? Who are you and what have you done with Hermione? Don’t you mean as long as it doesn’t break the rules or something?”

“Very funny Harry.” Hermione said dryly. “No I meant exactly what I said.”

“No, I mean it Hermione, you really seem different somehow. Between how you look and that…. I mean before you would do a lot as long as it wouldn’t break too many rules.”

Hermione looked down at her left forearm where the scar was, the scar that was still clearly visible after a month of healing, the scar the meant so much more to her than the word itself meant. She glanced back at Harry with a somewhat determined look on her face, “Yeah. Yeah I am.”

Harry looked somewhat confused for a moment and then realization dawned on him. He glanced at her arm and then back at her face. “How did that whole thing change you?”

“What? Oh… yes the scar. Well, I realized I was living up to other people’s ideas of me, how they saw me, what they wanted of me, and not what I wanted. Bellatrix was literally trying to write what she wanted my identity to be into me. I told myself that if I survived that only I would be allowed to write my life from now on.” explained Hermione, happy to share it with Harry. This was important to her and sharing that with him made sense.

Harry grinned broadly at her. “I think that’s brilliant. Yeah, if that’s what you feel is best, do that. I just want you to be happy. What a great way to turn that around Hermione.”

“I want you to be happy as well Harry.” said Hermione, clearly still worried about him.

“I am working on it Hermione, I really am. And I promise, I will check on St. Mungo’s.” Harry’s smile was a bit faint but it was there.

“Thank you. And if they don’t have anything I will help you find someone in the muggle community.” said Hermione.

“Thank you Hermione. And I hope you find that dream of yours.”

She blushed and shook her head. “Honestly Harry.”

Harry laughed at the look on her face, the first real laugh he had had in a while.

Hermione smiled to herself. It looked like things with Harry were not quite as bad as she had feared. Maybe she would not need to call out the big guns and drag Molly over here to deal with him. That would certainly fix things for Harry, but it was certainly more force than matters called for. No matters were likely settled, for now. Besides, if she did that, Harry might not forgive her for doing that, at least not for a while. “Well, I should get going. I was going to do some things with my family later today. I will go talk to Ginny for you tomorrow. Do you want me to tell the rest of the Weasleys as well?”

“Could you? I have no idea what to say to them at this point.”

“Certainly Harry, but when I do, expect Molly to come rushing over.” stated Hermione with a bit of a smile.

“Uhm… on second thought, maybe I should reconsider?”

“Honestly Harry.” snickered Hermione.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An extra chapter just for the holidays. Merry Christmas.

Four

Knowing that she had to do this and quite nervous about what the Weasleys might think, Hermione had taken some extra time getting ready. This ensured that she really looked just like she felt like on the inside. Like when she went to see Harry, she looked rather girly but not as amazingly girly as Parvati could or Lavender had. She was even wearing just a little bit of makeup to highlight some of her features. It was more of a natural look and did not seem like she was wearing much at all. She liked how she looked and it made her happy, like she was moving forward with her life. Now if only the Weasleys could deal with the way she looked now and not tease her too much then things would be fine. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly to steady herself, then she disapparated to the Burrow.

She appeared near the boundary of the property and started walking towards the house, doing so to give herself time to try to calm her nerves. Off in the field she could spot three people flying about and it looked like they were tossing a quaffle around. It was easy to spot Ginny as she was out flying the other two by a wide margin. That made her smile. It was nice to know that her best female friend excelled over her brothers at something most of them prided themselves on. She wondered if the three of them had already spotted her as she neared and recognized her. In all honesty Hermione doubted that they would as she did look different enough that even Harry was shocked at her appearance and she had been right in front of him when he had seen her.

That train of thought made her frown. Poor Harry, it was terrible that he was so deeply hurt from the war all because that psychopath Voldemort was so obsessed with staying alive. Given what he had to do in the forest, it was no wonder that he was so messed up. No, Hermione understood, she understood far too well in all honesty. The scars on her arm were a daily reminder of what hate and insanity could do and it was clear that she would carry that reminder forever. No, right now she did not want to think that sort of thing. Right now she was going to reconnect with her second family and hopefully they would be fine with how she was changing. Thinking bad thoughts would help no one.

The flyers were doing crazier and crazier flying maneuvers and she shook her head somewhat amused at the antics. It was so nice to see that despite all the horrors that had happened over the last year some things never changed. She could always count on there being some sort of game of Quidditch being played here at the Burrow. Turning from the field, Hermione knocked on the doorframe as she looked in for Molly, not seeing her. She could smell something cooking that smelled tasty but Mrs. Weasley was nowhere to be seen. “Hello? Mrs. Weasley?”

A voice called back from the living room, clearly having recognized her, “Hermione? Come in, come in.”

Hermione came in, with a smile on her face and was nervously looking forward to the reaction she was going to get. This was going to be the first of the Weasleys to see her first changes and she hoped they went over well. Molly came into the dining room and stopped in her tracks upon seeing her, eyes widening. “Oh!”

Hermione reached up and self-consciously touched her shorter hair. “Do you like it? I felt like I needed a change and after all everything was over there really was no reason to not dress any way I liked.”

Molly smiled brightly and headed over towards the stove. “How right you are. You look lovely dear. Would you like some tea?”

Hermione could see how subdued the woman was compared to what she had been before the last year. Clearly the loss of Fred had hit her hard as was to be expected. She had been devastated when George had just gotten hurt. “Certainly Mrs. Weasley.”

Once the tea was ready, she joined Hermione at the table, handing over a teacup. “I do like your hair and it really is quite a change. I had never imagined you with shorter hair.”

She shrugged, not quite sure how to respond to that. “Well, I guess we are all dealing with things differently.”

Molly reached out and patted her hand comfortingly. Hermione smiled at her. Molly was definitely alright with how she looked. That did make her feel a bit better. If things kept changing hopefully the woman would still support her. She continued, “So I am looking forward to September, going back to Hogwarts. It will be a bit strange going back to classes after everything that happened last year but I do so want to do well on my Newts.”

“Have you informed Headmistress McGonagall?” asked Molly, clearly wanting to make sure that everything was in order.

“I did. I sent her an owl with my intentions right after I got back from Australia with my parents.”

“And how are they?” asked Molly, actually sounding interested.

“They are doing well. They were not happy with me for using magic on them, which is not a surprise, but they are glad I protected them. It would have devastated me if I had lost them. So things are getting back in order here and I am spending a lot of time with them. We are doing a lot of things we haven’t done in a long while, so that is good. It has actually been lov…”

Hermione was cut off as three loud Weasleys tromped into the Burrow still talking about their game. Their conversation cut off mid word as soon as they spotted Hermione. Eyes wide they all took her in, making her blush a little. Ginny started smiling broadly as soon as she saw her. Ron blurted out, “Bloody hell.”

Both Ginny and Molly snapped, “Ron!”

“Sorry.” He bowed his head a little, chastised.

George came over and gave her a big hug. “I must say, you look fantastic Hermione. What’s the occasion?”

“No occasion. I just decided to change a few things about myself. You like?” She stood and twirled, so they could get an even better look, seeing the skirt she was wearing that fanned out slightly with her movement.

George winked at her, whistling appreciatively, “Excellent legs for a bookworm.”

Hermione blushed again and shook her head. Ginny came up and hugged her tightly, lifting her a little in the air. This resulted in Hermione letting out a less than dignified squeak, “Ginny, put me down.”

George and Molly were laughing at that and Ron was just looking wistfully at the girl. Ginny put her down and then pointed her finger, demanding, “Why didn’t you let us know you were coming?”

“I wasn’t sure when I was going to be able to make it. But then I realized I missed you all and so here I am.” replied Hermione with a grin.

Ginny hugged her again. Ron shuffled a bit uncomfortably in response, clearly unsure how to respond to her. Hermione took pity on him and walked over, giving him a friendly hug. “Hello Ron.”

“Hi.”

“Come now everyone, have a seat. Lunch will be ready in a tick.”

Ginny sat next to Hermione, like she usually did at most meals in the Burrow. Ron sat across from her, again as usual. Hermione was pleased to see such familiar things. It gave her a sense of comfort and stability. “So George, how are things going?”

“I’ve been busy. I had to take today off from work for sanity reasons. I… I can’t let Fred down by letting our business falter. He would be downright pissed at me. We are doing more business now than ever before and Ron here has been a big help.” said George with a faint smile.

“Really Ron?” Hermione was pleasantly surprised, as she knew Ron was not known for his work ethic.

“Uhm… yeah. I have been helping out a couple of days a week until George here can hire some more help.”

Hermione smiled. It still made her sad that her dreams of her and Ron had been so completely denied by her thoughts. There was just too much against them to make a relationship between them work. To attempt anything would just be asking for it to crash and burn spectacularly after a terrible row. No, she just couldn’t do that to herself nor to Ron. She sighed at the thought of might have beens. Ginny touched her arm and asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I was just thinking of something. It’s not important. Oh, that reminds me, Ginny, after we are done with lunch can we go for a walk. I need to talk to you about something.” This was about as good an opening as she was going to get. Hermione was at a loss for any other way to start this conversation.

“Sure thing.” Ginny might have said more but plates of food appeared and everyone started to tuck in. The food was excellent as always. Hermione loved the family atmosphere here. It was always so boisterous. She had always wanted siblings but that had clearly never happened, but now she had two really close brothers thanks to her experiences over the last seven years. It did look like Ron was not clear on the fact that they really did not have a romantic future, so she might need to re-explain that to him, but not today. Things were going to be tense enough with having to tell Ginny about Harry that she did not really want to add to that atmosphere.

As she ate and caught up with what they had been doing for the last month, she thought about what she could possibly do to get Ron to realize that she was not interested in pursuing a relationship with him. Everything that came to mind was so blunt and direct that it made her wince internally just thinking about it. He was one of her best friends and to say things that bluntly and forthright might not go over as well with Ron. She was willing to bet that his emotions were on an ever greater hair trigger now than before, what with Fred’s death and the aftermath of the war. So how could she make him see this situation between them clearly and not have to endure him constantly following her around like a lost puppy begging for a handout? She glanced at her arm, and despite the fabric covering the scar it was clear in her mind’s eye and nodded slightly. Regardless of the fallout she would do what she had to do to take care of herself. She just wanted to find the best way so it would cause the least damage.

“Uh… Hermione? Can we talk later?” nervously asked Ron.

“Sure Ron. I can do that.” Hermione smiled at him, slightly worried about what he wanted to say. She could sort of guess what was going to be coming but she was firm in her decision. There really was nothing he could say to change her mind.

Once Ginny finished her lunch she stood and said happily, “Ready to go?”

Hermione snickered at the girl’s actions, shaking her head slightly. “Sure.”

Getting up and pushing in her chair, she followed the red head out and into the yard. Ginny turned and was walking backwards, clearly comfortable doing so. “So where do you want to go?”

“I don’t know Ginny. How about somewhere nice and quiet, where we won’t be overheard?” she smiled at Ginny as she said that. After thinking about it, letting anyone else know would not be good for Harry, so privacy would be best.

The girl gave her an odd look, as if she were slightly worried about what this could mean but lead the way. “Come on. There was a place that Luna and I used to play at that was really nice and private. I haven’t been there for a while as it just felt strange going there without her, but I figure I’ll show you. I know Luna wouldn’t mind.”

“Lead the way.” The two girls walked down the path towards the Rook like house that the Lovegoods lived in. Hermione was happy to hear that it had been rebuilt as she understood why Mr. Lovegood had acted the way he had. You did anything for family. She did hope that the painting in Luna’s room had been repaired, as she knew how special that was to the blond. If she had any skill at painting she would offer to help if it weren’t done, but again, now was not the time. She had things to take care of.

The path wound through the grass and into the thin trees that blocked view of the Burrow. It split the sunlight into multiple shafts, breaking the shade into separate chunks. It was cooler under them and the trees grew thicker the deeper they walked. After a bit, when a bit more of the underbrush cleared, Ginny took her hand and walked between two trees and off the trail. Hermione followed, watching Ginny carefully in case there was anything special she would have to do. There was nothing that seemed obvious.

While there was little underbrush here there still was a press from the trees as smaller saplings were crowding against some of the larger and more established trees. It felt a little claustrophobic in here and she watched Ginny who strode confidently ahead, quite comfortable here. The trail was not very rough and even though her shoes were not that well suited for this sort of walking she was fine. “How much further?”

“We’re almost there ‘mione. Just a bit further on.” replied Ginny, looking over her shoulder with a grin.

After a few more minutes of walking things opened up as they were by the stream, in an area that looked good for swimming and had some rocks that seemed like they would be good to sit on. It was peaceful, with the burbling of water the only sound. There were even a few water flowers growing along the shore and in small eddies. Hermione was entranced and she gushed, “Oh Ginny! This is lovely.”

Ginny blushed at the compliment, unable to meet the older girl’s eyes. “Thank you. Luna and I did some work clearing this space to make things better. I’m glad you like it. So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?”

Hermione sighed and looked out over the stream, dreading this particular task. “It’s about Harry.”

“Is he okay? Have you seen him? You have haven’t you? He’s not hurt is he?” blurted out Ginny, looking shocked.

“Breathe Ginny.” said Hermione, trying to calm the near frantic redhead. “Harry is mostly fine. The war has really affected him though, and not in a good way. I think he has what the muggles call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Given everything he underwent during the Battle of Hogwarts, it would be no wonder that he would have it. I am going to help him see if there is someone who can help him at St. Mungo’s but if not I have insisted that he see a muggle therapist to get past this. But the downside is that he feels that he is too dangerous to be around anyone he cares about at the moment, especially you.”

Ginny closed her eyes and sighed, after a few moments a few tears trickled down her face. When she opened her eyes she was settling her face into something firm and resolute. She pursed her lips so tight until they were slightly pale. With a sigh she, said, “You know… Harry for all I feel bad for him and hope he gets better because of all of this, he can just go bugger himself.”

“Ginny!” Hermione was shocked at the vehemence in the girl’s tone.

“No Hermione, do you have any idea what it feels like to be strung along with the hope, the dream of a relationship keeping you going?”

Thinking of her own indeterminate redheaded dream lover, she nodded her head as she replied, “Yes, I do.”

“It sucks and I am bloody tired of it. Harry has done this to me one too many times and I am just tired. You know, I just want to be happy with someone who will be there for me. Is that really too much to ask?” grumbled Ginny, throwing a rock into the river.

“I’m with you on that one. Ron and I aren’t going to work but I know that the person for me is out there. I firmly believe that. You know, if we stick together we can help each other through this rough time and maybe even help each other find that love we’re looking for.” commented Hermione, looking thoughtful.

“Does that mean that you will be going back to Hogwarts?” Ginny asked nervously, biting her bottom lip.

“Yes.” Hermione answered with a big smile.

“Yes!” Ginny launched herself and tackled Hermione onto the soft grass, hugging her tight. “Oh this is going to be wonderful. And with no Ron to pester us… so much fun.”

“Ron’s not returning?” Hermione was surprised that she really was not surprised to learn that.

“No.  He got an offer to become an Auror from Shacklebolt and decided to do it. Said he’s already done enough of this work so now he should get paid for it.” Ginny rolled her eyes. “I think he’s a git for doing that but that’s nothing new.”

“Well that will certainly keep him busy.” said Hermione to herself. “So I guess that means it will be you and me versus Hogwarts.”

Ginny grinned excitedly, bouncing a little. “I can’t wait.”

Hermione sat up again once Ginny released her hug. “I think it will be wonderful.”

“And just think, they won’t be copying your homework the whole time.” That set them both off laughing, as they knew how true that was. “Oh, how are your parents? Did the retrieval go well?”

Thinking back to that moment in Australia when the confused stares of strangers snapped back into the warm eyes of her parents, Hermione had to smile. Though in all honesty they hadn’t stayed warm for long once they had realized what she had done to them. “It went well. Once I left the Burrow I headed to Australia and tracked them down. I countered my spell and they remembered me, and did not seem to have any problems. But once they realized that they were living in Australia under a false identity we had a bit of a row.”

“But things worked out, right?”

“Oh yes. My mother took me to get my hair done, go shopping for clothes, and we talked. We really have been trying to make up for lost time. My father and I have also talked a lot as well. Sure I was yelled at for putting myself in such danger, but right now things are great. I really am looking forward to spending most of the summer with them. So fair warning, I might not be around the Burrow as much as I have been some summers.” said Hermione.

“Is it fun?” asked Ginny softly, looking at the light in the branches.

Hermione looked over at the girl as if trying to figure things out. “Living with my family? Of course it is. I also don’t get fawned all over, like some of the people here in the wizarding world do all the time, so that also helps. I really understand what Harry has been talking about, when people look at you and see something else. So being anonymous is lovely.”

Ginny kept looked off, commenting, “That sounds good.”

Hermione could hear something in her friend’s voice. The girl wanted something, but it was unclear what exactly that was. Maybe being here, at the Burrow was a bit too much for her, like she was drowning in everyone’s emotions. Maybe the wizarding world was choking her a bit? Perhaps what she needed was a break to clear her head. “Would you like to come to stay with me for a while?”

“Really?” Ginny snapped her head over to look at the older girl, her brown eyes wide in surprise.

“Sure, if your mother is okay with it than it should be fine. I would love to spend time alone with you without having the boys underfoot.”

Bounding to her feet, Ginny said, “This is great. Let’s ask!”

Hermione laughed as Ginny pulled her quickly back towards the Burrow at a near run. Ginny kept trying to make her go faster and Hermione kept slowing down or stopping, ending up being dragged a short bit, laughing the whole time. Finally they made it inside giggling the whole time like girls much younger. Ginny ran up to her mother, practically bouncing on her toes as she asked, “Can I go stay with Hermione for a while?”

“Well, if it is all right with Hermione’s parents.”

“They said I could extend the offer if I wanted to.” Hermione said with a grin.

“Then that will be fine dear. Go have a fun time.”

Ginny squealed happily and ran upstairs to her room off the first landing. Molly watched her daughter’s retreat fondly. Turning back to Hermione she said, “Thank you for helping Ginny that first week after the battle. How you held her while she cried, and were just there for her… it was greatly appreciated, since I was in no shape to do it.”

“Think nothing of it. We all needed someone to cry on. She did her share of holding me as well.” replied Hermione, blushing slightly, feeling a bit self-conscious as she was being thanked for something she did not see as special.

“Yes, well… Ginny was very close to Fred, so you being there for her meant a lot, to both of us. I just wanted you to know that.” Molly reached over and patted Hermione’s hand. “You really have become like a second daughter to me.”

Tears were welling up in her eyes and before Hermione could reply, Ron came in and said, “Uhm, Hermione, can we talk?”

“Sure.” She hugged Molly tightly and then the two of them went outside. Once they were a short distance into the garden and away from easy overhearing, Ron turned to face her. “So what is it Ron.”

“I wanted to talk about us. I… I really like you and uh… I… uhm… do you want to go out sometime?” Ron looked really embarrassed by the time he finished, his cheeks nearly as red as his hair.

Hermione felt for Ron, she really did but what could she do? Regardless of everything else he was still her friend, even when he was overstepping boundaries she had established. It seemed that he had not followed what she had said to him about their relationship potential after all. “Ron, I am sorry but like I told you, I only see you as a friend, basically as a brother. I am not interested in anything else with you.”

“Why? I don’t get it? Things seemed to really be moving that way and then after we got to Shell Cottage it was like everything changed.” Ron raised his voice a little as he was growing upset.

“Yes Ron, things changed and I’m sorry for that, but that is the way things are. I don’t want to mislead you.” said Hermione, knowing that more detail would not really help things.

“I just don’t understand.”

“I know Ron. I’m sorry.” She turned and headed back inside, not wanting to have to deal with any more of that than she had to. If she stayed there arguing then it would not stay friendly long.

There was a pounding on the stairs and Ginny came racing down with a bag in hand. She jumped the last few steps and came to a stop right in front of Hermione, with a broad grin plastered on her face. “Ready!”

Hermione laughed at her friend’s antics and shook her head. They were certainly more endearing than Ron’s. Molly hugged her daughter and said, “Now you mind the Grangers and don’t cause any trouble. Have fun dear.”

Taking a hold of Ginny’s hand, Hermione smiled and said, “I’ll side along apparate us over there. It won’t take a moment. Hold on.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am posting this a little early as I have to crash early and will be busy tomorrow. Have a good read. And fyi… I am working on Chap. 13, so there is plenty of fic heading your way. 

Five

They appeared in a moderately small room, maybe a bit larger than Ginny’s own bedroom at the Burrow. The nice looking bedspread appeared to have quotes all over it. There were a few books sitting on the nightstand, more books on the desk and even more books on the two bookshelves. The walls had a few framed posters of artwork that did not move which seemed to surprise Ginny some. There were even a few paintings that also did not move. Also on the wall there was a noticeboard with several things pinned to it. Hermione’s school trunk was against one wall, with a few more books piled on top of it as well. The dresser was tidy with only a few neatly organized stacks on notebooks and books on it. Ginny smirked at Hermione after taking it all in, “I like it. It looks like you.”

“Oh hush.” Hermione nudged Ginny playfully. “Drop your stuff on the bed and let’s go see my parents. They want to meet you again.”

“It has been a few years since we met, hasn’t it?” asked Ginny.

“Yes and that was only briefly at Platform 9 ¾. Come on.” Hermione led Ginny out of her bedroom and down the hall to where her parents were sitting in the living room, reading, as her room was on the first floor. Her father was going through the daily paper and her mother was reading a journal.

Her mother looked up at the sound of them nearing and smiled when she saw the girls. “Oh hello. You didn’t tell us we were having guests Hermione.”

“Ginny needed some time away from her family. Her brother Fred died fighting at the Battle at Hogwarts. Her whole family is taking it pretty hard. This can give her a bit of a break from all of that and let her deal with things on her own.” replied Hermione, gaining a grateful look from the red head.

“How long were you thinking?” asked her mother curiously.

“What do you think Gin, will three or four weeks be sufficient?” Hermione smiled happily.

Ginny’s eyes widened. Her voice sounded kind of small when she replied, “Really? Are you sure that will be okay?”

“Yes, I would be happy to have my best girlfriend spend the time with me. Think of it as a vacation.”

Ginny hugged her tightly. “Thank you so much. This is really wonderful of you. I guess I should owl my mother and let her know?”

Hermione’s mother waved a hand, dismissively, “Don’t worry about that right now. You just got here. Relax and have some fun first. You both have had a rough several years and should just be kids again for a while. It will do you a world of good. You can let your mother know tonight or tomorrow without it being a big deal. She does know you are here, right?”

Nodding her head, Ginny replied, “Yes, but I wanted to let her know that I got here safe and all that. She can really worry, despite the fact that we have a clock that can let her know if we are in danger.”

Ginny went to write the note to her mother and Hermione stayed there in the living room with her parents. Her dad snickered some from behind his paper but didn’t lower it to look at her. Hermione, sensing he was holding back, looked his way and asked, “What?”

“Nothing. She’s just a nice, considerate daughter, that’s all.” replied her father, his tone carrying his meaning quite clearly.

“Daddy!” Hermione was clearly affronted by what he was implying. Her parents were clearly amused.

She wanted to huff, but she knew that the good natured teasing was a good sign that things were getting better between her parents and her. It was almost as if things were back to normal. She could only hope that this trend would continue. Spending her summer here instead of the Burrow was a good call.

“So what are you two going to do?” asked her mom.

Hermione shrugged. “I’m not exactly sure. Ginny has never been in muggle surroundings for very long and so I kind of wanted to take her all over to show her, well everything. And given that this will ensure I will not be mobbed by various witches and wizards who think I am some sort of hero, I kind of like the idea.”

“Then we will have to think of something fun for all of us to do. Your father and I have to work during the week, but I am sure you can keep yourself occupied on those days.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure we can. We can go to the library or the cinema or the mall or even to Diagon Alley if we absolutely have to. I am sure we can find some way stay busy.”

Ginny came back with a note all rolled up and ready to go. She then seemed to realize something and looked a bit sheepish, “Uhm… Hermione, do you actually have an owl?”

“Yes. I picked one up when I was in Australia. I remembered how useful they were and I have been missing Crookshanks. Since we couldn’t find him when we were at the Burrow, and he hasn’t shown up since I have to assume the worst. The one I purchased is named Perdita. She is really wonderful.” Hermione beamed when she said that. Her owl was absolutely amazing in her opinion, but she had to admit that she could be a tad bit biased. “Uhm… but I should warn you… she is a bit different from the other owls you have seen.”

Ginny looked at her funny. “What do you mean, she’s still an owl right? Just how different can she be?”

Stepping outside, aware that simply explaining it would never do, Hermione patted the roost near the door and called out, “Perdita!”

The large hawk-owl flew over and landed on the perch, its wings beating in near silence. The coloration of the bird was very similar to a hawks, with the muted brown grey, with white stripes on the body, wing and tail. The bright yellow eyes stared right at Ginny and the only thing the girl could say in response upon seeing her was, “Woah.”

“I know. She is so beautiful and is so distinct over here. They are actually fairly common in Australia, well the genus not necessarily the specific species. Come on, let’s send the note so your mother can stop worrying.” Hermione pet Perdita a few times before tying the note to her leg. “Take this to Molly Weasley at the Burrow. And feel free to catch yourself something on your way back. She might want to send a note back so wait a little bit to check, okay?”

Perdita looked at her and then gave her a long slow blink. With a woo-hoo, she launched herself off the perch and flew away. Hermione watched her owl fly off with a smile on her face. It really was a nice thing to have a post owl of her very own. She turned back to her friend and asked, “So what do you want to do? You have never really been in a muggle house before so what do you want to see? Any ideas?”

“Do you have one of those movie things? Those sounded interesting when I heard about them. Listening to you and Harry talk about movies, as well as Colin and a few other muggleborn has made me really want to know what they are like. So would you happen to have one of them?” asked Ginny, looking really excited with her eyes wide.

Hermione had to admit that tough Quidditch player Ginny Weasley looked like an adorable little kid like that. She couldn’t help but grin at that the sight and said with a grin, “Yes we do. I guess I should pick something for us to watch.”

“Hermione.”

“Yes mom?”

“We have some of the films that came out last year that are really good. I mean, I don’t expect you managed to see Titanic or Good Will Hunting or Moulin Rouge or Fierce Creatures while you were on the run from Death Eaters. So, there are a number of options available.” offered her mother.

Biting her bottom lip, she pondered this. There were a lot of really good options in their collection. Should she go with something new that was sure to be dazzling or should she go with something old that she knew was magical? Maybe with something that got her hooked onto movies in the first place? “Maybe later Mom, I think I have the perfect first film in mind for Ginny to see.”

“Alright. I will make you girls some popcorn to snack on. Would you like a fizzy drink as well?”

“Yes please.” answered Hermione, as she was fairly certain that Ginny had no idea how to respond to this.

“What are we going to watch?” asked Ginny, growing more excited as things drew closer to her first movie.

“You’ll see.”

Ginny sat stunned as they watched The Wizard of Oz, drinking her cola and having plenty of popcorn at the same time. She had gasped when it had switched from black and white to color and was deeply enthralled with the story. Hermione was spending almost more time watching the redhead’s reactions to the movie than the movie itself. The girl’s almost childlike exuberance over the movie was wonderful and made Hermione so happy for Ginny. It must be so wonderful to be exposed to such new things on a regular basis. Hermione couldn’t imagine a world without movies and technology but Ginny was from a world where Magic did a lot of things and some things that Hermione took for granted just could not be accomplished by magic. She always forgot that for all of its wonder that the magical world had failings as well.

Once the movie was over, Ginny just sort of sat back, stunned, her eyes wide and it appeared that there were tears forming in them. “That was…”

“Yeah. I love that movie. And that one was made fifty-nine years ago. They have gotten better and better since, with some incredible special effects that you would swear are magic nothing short of magic.” said Hermione with a grin.

“And you got to see these all the time before you came to Hogwarts?” asked Ginny, kind of dazed.

“Pretty much. And there was also television, which is somewhat similar to movies but the programming is shorter. We can watch that too if you want. But we will get to see that and CD players, and cars that don’t fly, busses, all sorts of things while you are here. You’ll have fun.” promised Hermione.

“Well, if this is an example of what I have in store for me, I am really looking forward to it.”

Hermione’s mother came in and said, “I talked to your father and we decided to go out to eat tonight. Does that sound fine?”

“Yes mom.”

“We should let Ginny choose a place since it is her first night eating out at a purely Muggle restaurant.”

“Oh yes! That will be great.” Hermione was excited by that option. “Should I get online and show her the options?”

Ginny looked at her without understanding. “Online?”

Hermione laughed, clearly amused by her friend. “Yes, come on and I’ll show you. Give us a few minutes Mom. We will find a local place.”

They went upstairs and Hermione turned on her computer. Ginny just watched, trying to figure out what she was doing as the screen blinked on. When she got online, Ginny was stunned by what she was seeing, as her mind was having some difficulty processing the images before her. “Wha…”

“Okay, so here are the local options. I’ll explain the internet later. So there are a number of different restaurants and types of restaurants in London. There are French, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, other European, Middle Eastern, Ethopian, Vietnamese, Greek, all sorts of things. So any of that sound interesting?”

“Well, I have had Middle Eastern when we were in Egypt, Indian as well thanks to Padma and Parvati. Can we have Chinese? That sounds interesting. That or Greek.” said Ginny thoughtfully. “I don’t think I have ever had anything like that.”

“Okay. Let’s go.” She shut down her computer and they headed back to the living room to where her parents waited. “Mom, Ginny was thinking that either Chinese or Greek sounded good to her.”

“Great. Let’s grab our purses and head out. Shall we?”

They went out to a nice sit down restaurant and Ginny laughed at her awkward attempts to use chopsticks and their fortunes, especially once the ‘in bed’ portion of the game was explained. That addition made the red head’s fortune about ‘You like new and exciting things,’ really make her blush. Returning to the Granger’s she was clearly happy and seemed more relaxed than she had been when Hermione had seen her earlier. As the two of them walked towards her room, Hermione asked, “So good day so far?”

“Well, the part where you told me about Harry was not very nice, but the rest has been brilliant.”

Once behind the safety of the door and with a Muffliato cast, Hermione sat down on her bed and said, “I’m glad. I’ve been worried about you Ginny.”

“I’m doing okay.” said the girl, rather unconvincingly.

“Really?” Hermione raised an eyebrow and brown eyes met brown eyes, until the younger pair looked down and away.

“Okay, truth is not so well. I was doing okay while you were there but when you were gone… it’s been tough, and Mom… she’s been doing her best but this has been tearing her up. Dad and Percy are working hard trying to fix things at the Ministry. Bill is busy with Fleur and his work at Gringotts. Charlie is back in Bulgaria working and so it has basically been George who has tried to work but not doing great and Ron trying to help him and pining over you. So I have been basically keeping to myself so no one noticed how I’ve been doing. It’s been very hard. And now this crap with Harry… yeah… I’m doing fine.”

“Ginny.” Hermione’s voice was filled with compassion.

The red head shrugged. “Well, Harry has worked really hard constantly pushing me away for my own safety. And I can’t say I’m really all that hurt about it this time. Besides, I’ve had over a year to get used to the idea of being without him, so I guess I can just give him up and try to find someone who won’t treat me like I’m a fragile thing that will break under the slightest amount of pressure. I mean, bloody hell Hermione, it’s like he constantly forgot that I grew up with six crazy brothers, played Quidditch harder than he did, fought alongside him at the Ministry and was almost killed by Voldemort in my first year. So yeah, I was more than capable of fighting at his side but no, we can’t let Ginny go, she’s the baby of the family. She might get hurt.”

Hermione could hear the bitterness and barely masked pain in the girl’s voice. It kind of broke her heart to know that Ginny had been feeling this kind of anguish and no one had noticed. “I am sorry Gin. You know the only reason they let me go with them was that they wanted to live, right?”

Ginny snorted and nodded. “Yeah, Ron mentioned that a few times. Said they wouldn’t have lasted two days without you. I think he was over estimating their chances.”

“Even with that Harry and Ron wanted me to stay behind because I was a girl. Guys are like that, trying to be noble and stuff even when it doesn’t make any sort of sense. Despite the fact that I know more spells than they do, can cast non-verbally and even cast some things without a wand they think I need protection because Harry is better at Defense than I am. Honestly!” She huffed and crossed her arms, getting a bit riled up herself the more she thought about this. “I can’t even begin to tell you the number of times I saved the two of them by being prepared for most any contingency. So I know you got left out for no good reason and you are right it wasn’t fair to you, but it was more Ron and Harry being boys and trying to be noble more than anything else.”

Ginny smiled slightly in understanding. “I get that, I really do, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less.”

Hermione looked down at her left forearm and replied softly, “Yeah, I know. I’m going to change for bed. Want to join me?”

“Sure.”

The girls changed and when Ginny saw Hermione’s forearm she stared, goggling at the still reddish scar that stood out plainly on the pale flesh. Hermione was confused at first with what Ginny was doing and then she followed the girl’s gaze. She shook her head slightly and sighed, resigned to the fact that she needed to take care of this. “Yeah, pretty gruesome, isn’t it.”

“Merlin ‘mione, what the hell happened to you?” Ginny was clearly upset by this, far more than she had been by the revelations about Harry, probably because this was right in her face.

“Bellatrix wanted to make sure I always knew who I was.” replied Hermione with a bit of a sardonic laugh. “It worked out so well for her.”

“Is that why you kicked her?” asked Ginny, clearly thinking back to the Battle and the aftermath.

“Well, yeah. That and the torture.” calmly replied Hermione.

“Torture?”

“Yes. Cruciatus and the knife. It took me weeks to heal up completely. We stayed at Shell Cottage with Bill and Fleur. Thankfully we were able to do so before the end of things so we could regain our strength and come up with a plan. It was not an experience I wish to go through again.” said Hermione, with a faraway look, not really seeing inside of her room any more.

“She cut that into you?” replied Ginny, clearly horrified at the idea.

Hermione nodded grimly. She reached out a hand and rested it on Ginny’s arm comfortingly. “It’s okay Ginny. I’m fine right now. She’s dead and I am all healed, for the most part.”

“Wait what? For the most part?”

Hermione rolled her eyes, chiding herself for that slip of the tongue. It figured that Ginny would catch on to that particular phrase and follow up on it. However she realized that if Ginny was going to be sleeping here it wasn’t like it was going to be a secret for long. No, telling her about all of this might make her sleep a little less terrifying. “I… I still have nightmares about it, the torture. They mess me up pretty badly, as I can recall the pain in pretty sharp detail. Not every night, but often enough that it is a bit of a problem.”

Ginny leaned forward and pulled Hermione into a hug, holding her tightly and safely. Hermione was not sure how to respond for a moment before she relaxed into things and hugged Ginny back. They both shared each other’s discomfort for a while before letting go slowly, their hands reluctant to lose contact with each other. They stared into each other’s eyes, brown to brown, seeing the warmth and caring reflected therein and they both smiled.

Ginny smirked and said, “So given your nightmares and the fact that we should try to do something to stop them, how about we just expand your bed a little bit. It’s not like we haven’t done that before, shared a bed. And that way I might be able to chase off the bad dreams. It couldn’t hurt, right?”

Hermione thought about that for a moment and shrugged. There was nothing wrong with that suggestion as far as she could see and as far as she knew it might just even work. “That sounds good to me. Who knows? It might do the trick.”

They both got a good laugh at that as Hermione wandlessly expanded the bed with a quick gesture. Ginny just widened her eyes some and shook her head, saying, “I know you said you could do some spells without a wand, but seeing it still gives me chills. That is really pretty amazing. You are so powerful Hermione.”

Hermione looked down at the carpeted floor and sighed, not sure of anything in terms of her own suffering. “Yeah, well power isn’t everything.”

Ginny hugged her again. “Look ‘mione, there was nothing you could do about any of this. You were a prisoner. They were in control at that moment and not you. You did what you could and you actually survived. That is still pretty powerful in my book. You are an amazing witch. I’m not sure if I could have gone through that and done half as well as you have.”

“Don’t sell yourself short Ginny, you are pretty tough yourself.” countered Hermione, wanting to make sure how she felt about the girl.

“For all the good it’s done me.” mumbled Ginny, but Hermione still heard her and responded to the self-denigration.

“But it has done you a lot of good. You have done a lot of things and survived a great deal that some witches and wizards twice you age or more haven’t been able to, so accept that. If I have to accept that I am powerful then you have to accept that you are tough. So deal with it.” Hermione fixed the redhead with a mock glare, trying to get her to concede the point.

Ginny started laughing and raised her hands in surrender, already able to tell she had lost this particular battle. “Alright, alright I give for now. I know better than to argue with you. It never ends well for anyone. I’m tough.”

“And I’m powerful. Now let’s go to bed.” said Hermione flatly.

The absurdity of that statement hit the girls right after she had said it, with only a slight pause, and they both started laughing as they changed for the night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There will be a number of mature things discussed including torture, same sex relationships, violence and others… you have been warned.
> 
> A/N2: I almost had a huge continuity problem (well to me) that I thankfully caught and corrected (it was a movie btw). That has since been fixed. Whew! I would have been so embarrassed, especially because of the insane work I am doing to keep the rest of the continuity. Not like you wanted to know but there you go.
> 
> BTW, Wizarding World of Harry Potter rocks. Carry on.

Six

Several days later found the two girls walking through downtown London towards a very specific destination, with Hermione taking Ginny towards one of the more well-known muggle tourist attractions of the city. It also helped that it was one of Hermione’s favorite places as well, some place she came every summer. Ginny was amazed at much of London. She had not really seen a great deal of it, as she was only really familiar with her little town of Ottery St. Catchpole and the route in to King’s Cross station. Otherwise the rest of her life had been spent primarily in and around wizarding areas almost exclusively. The Underground freaked her out a little until she traveled on it a few times, insisting on holding Hermione’s hand the whole time in case they had to apparate out of there in an emergency. The whole thing was so cute it made Hermione giggle some, earning her a rather serious glare from the youngest Weasley. The taxis and buses were pretty much as expected, since the Night Bus was a comfortable known.

The size of the city, how busy it was and how different everything looked when compared to the wizarding world really did throw Ginny some. It was so much more amazing than anything she had ever seen before, with huge buildings everywhere, not just a few here and there, some even dwarfing Hogwarts. Hermione could tell that Ginny was not sure how to take all of this or even how to make sense of it but she did not say anything as this was an experience that Ginny would have to cope with on her own.

Hermione had been unable to resist the urge to take her best friend to one of her favorite places that day. Soon the two of them were walking inside and around the British Museum. Hermione was excitedly showing Ginny all of her favorite things on the first floor, such as the Assyrian section, the Greek artifacts, the Egyptian artifacts and most especially the item that she was most enamored of, the Rosetta Stone. They were standing in front of it and Hermione was looking at it with such awe, seeing nothing else around her. “Just think about it Ginny. This stone tablet right here allowed Jean Francois Champollion to translate ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and demotic all because of the Greek text there at the bottom. This one object was a gateway into understanding a civilization that was mostly unknown to both worlds even though so much of their writing had survived. There were all those temples and tombs but no one could read anything in them until this stone right here allowed someone to figure their writing system all out. Sometimes all it takes is just one little thing to open up an entire new world.”

When she looked away from the black granite stone and over at the red head, she noted that Ginny was looking at her fondly, with a slight smile on her face. Hermione blushed and looked away, back at the stone. “What?”

“You really are amazing you know that?” said Ginny, sort of chuckling and shaking her head is clear admiration.

Hermione cocked her head and asked, “What do you mean?”

“I mean look at you. You gave me all of that information right out of your memory and it isn’t like that is common information either. Is there anything you don’t know?” teased the redhead.

“Of course. There are lots of things I don’t know. There are so many things to know in the whole world after all Ginny and there is simply no way for any one person to know everything there is.” stated Hermione, endeavoring to make her point clear to her best friend.

“But that’s not going to stop you from trying to be the first one in history from doing so, is it?” said the red head playfully, reaching out to nudge Hermione in the shoulder gently.

Hermione could think of no truly dignified response to that and so stuck out her tongue. The two of them walked away from the Rosetta Stone laughing and headed back to the entry room, as a group of tourists headed towards the stone. Hermione looked over at Ginny and said, “Well, we can either continue looking around in here, as there is still quite a bit more to see and eat at the cafeteria or we can leave, go somewhere for some lunch and do something else, maybe even catch a movie. Which do you prefer?”

Ginny was unsure which of those options to choose and it showed on her face as she pondered. Hermione watched her and her reactions as the girl thought, smiling softly. This really was a lot of fun and she was so glad that she got to share her favorite parts of the muggle world with one of her friends. Harry already knew it and Ron would never have understood. He probably would have scoffed at the Rosetta Stone or made some dumb comment about muggles over all of this but Ginny had gotten it, had gotten why Hermione really enjoyed all of this and why the stone was important to her. She really did seem to be enjoying her time immersed in a muggle life, learning all the things that the muggle studies class tried to teach but never really seemed to carry across due to the outdated curriculum. The red head bit her lip and deliberated some more, looking around the room. She then turned back to Hermione, “How about some lunch, but not here, and then we can make an actual decision, do you think we can do that?”

“I think we should be able to do that.” Hermione grinned at Ginny and the two of them headed out. It was such a stereotypical Weasley response that she just had to smile. Starvation would be more effective than a Crucio against a Weasley.

They headed out of the museum and started heading towards Piccadilly Circus and along the way found a nearby place that served fish and chips. As they ate the two girls talked about school and the classes they were looking forward to as well as how nervous they were about their NEWTS, given how insane the last year had been. Hermione was thinking about how nice it was to talk to someone who actually seemed to have interests somewhat akin to her own for a change. Ginny actually cared about school and her grades, despite the fact that she was an athlete and about as into Quidditch as Harry and Ron. If only the boys had cared as much about their own academic pursuits, maybe then she would have been able to study even more on her own work and have been able to learn even more spells and things before everything went down.

Once they finished their meal, Ginny sat back and considered their options again. “You know, I think if it’s good with you, I would rather see one of those movies in a movies theater.”

“It’s movie theater and yes we can go. There are two things playing right now that look quite good to me, one is a romantic movie, City of Angels and the other is an action adventure film based on a novel called The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas, which was a really good book. Which of those do you think you would prefer?” asked Hermione, wanting to leave these sorts of choices to Ginny, so that she had the greatest control of her muggle experience.

They started walking towards the tube station as Ginny thought about it. Once they started heading down the escalator, Ginny finally had an answer. “How about we go with City of Angels? Honestly, I have had enough of action for a while. I could do with a little romance in my life.”

“Sounds good to me. If I remember the paper with the advert correctly then I know which theatre it’s in. Let’s head over to Leicester Square and see if we can get some tickets.”

Both girls were wiping their eyes and sniffling as they were leaving the theatre. They were doing a bit better now than they had been right towards the end of the film but the story and the ending was still clearly affecting them greatly. “That was so good.”

“I know and that picture was so big and the music was so loud. That was amazing Hermione. Thank you. Oh Merlin, that was so good. Why don’t we have anything like this in the wizarding world? Ahhhh!!” Ginny cried out in frustration. “That was just so… and the story… oh… my mother would love this. We have got to find a way to take her to this.”

Hermione giggled a little at this notion, picturing Molly Weasley staring wide eyed at the screen in a manner similar to how Ginny had. It was a humorous image and one she would cherish. Ginny was so excited, clearly pleased by the experience and completely energized because of it. The red head turned around and hugged Hermione tight, lifting her in the air, saying happily, “Thank you!”

“Aahh… put me down! You’re welcome Gin. I am glad you enjoyed it. We will have to see if we can make it to more movies over the school year. Maybe we can arrange something with Headmistress McGonnagal to let us out so we can see more.” said Hermione with a smile.

“Oh could we? She likes you, as you’re her favorite, so I am sure she would be happy to let you do something like that. That was incredible.” gushed Ginny.

“Come on, let’s head home. I am sure by the time we get there it will be time for dinner and we really shouldn’t apparate. This way you can get a better feel for what muggle life is really like.” Hermione smiled at Ginny, glad to be providing another learning experience.

“I don’t understand why my dad can’t seem to get this. The longer I am here with you the more all of this stuff actually makes a kind of sense. Sure it is strange and frankly pretty magical in its own right, like how you can get all that information out of your computer, or what a television is or how that ekeltricity works but you know I guess each world is equally amazing in their own ways.” Ginny was looking around as she said that, just taking in everything she saw, including people talking on cellphones. The idea that people could talk like they were using the floo while they were walking around really impressed her. Muggles had some truly amazing ideas, some of which seemed superior to the wizarding ideas.

Hermione was thoughtful. She hadn’t framed any of this that way and frankly it shocked her that she hadn’t. To her, all of this was just her regular ordinary boring pre-Hogwarts life; hardly any of it was amazing. Sure there were some things that were pretty neat but Ginny was acting like over all of this very much like she had when she had first started discovering the magical world. Maybe Ginny was right and that each world was amazing and full of mystery to the other. It was certainly not a position that Ron ever held or espoused. Perhaps it would be a good thing to pay greater attention to the interesting aspects of both worlds and never lose that sense of the magical? After all wasn’t that what drove her to want to learn everything in the first place, the fact that the world was such an incredible and limitless place?

She turned to Ginny and took her friends hand. She could feel the calluses the girl had from gripping the broom while she played Quidditch but the hand was not rough like Ron’s had been. This action got the other girls attention, making her look at Hermione in confusion. She looked right into Ginny’s eyes and said with all honesty she could muster, “Thank you Ginny.”

“For what?”

“For helping me to remember why I love learning everything there is to know about everything.” Hermione kept looking right into Ginny’s warm brown eyes as she said this, trying to make sure that her sincerity was clear to the other girl.

Ginny blushed and looked down and away, tightening her grip on Hermione’s hand. “You’re welcome but it’s not like I did anything special.”

“Not any more special than being yourself, which is pretty special on its own.” admitted Hermione, blushing slightly herself, though for the life of her she was not sure why.

The blush on the other girl deepened and Hermione laughed happily in response. With a slight tug, Hermione got Ginny onto the Underground in one piece, both of them heading out of the city and closer towards where the Grangers lived. Once they reached the correct station the two of them transferred onto a bus and got closer still. They walked the last little distance still just basking happily in the glow of the movie and their conversation.

Dinner was indeed ready when they got home and the four of them sat around the table and ate. The girls told Hermione’s mother about the movie and they heard about the elder Grangers’ day, about a rough bicuspid removal and some routine cavity fillings and examinations. Ginny hung on every word as she was somewhat fascinated with the whole business of dentistry. It sounded clearly fascinating, given the look on her face.

“Well Ginny, seeing as I kind of need to run an errand over to St. Mungo’s, why don’t you go with my parents tomorrow. They can give you a checkup and show you around the office. And when I’m done I can come by and pick you up. Does that sound like it will work for you?” suggested Hermione.

“Really? Would that be okay with you, Mr. and Mrs. Granger?” Ginny seemed excited about the prospect.

Hermione’s parents grinned and her mother said, “If only our other patients were this excited about coming in for a checkup. Sure, we can do that. It will be fun and educational. After we explain what we do, you can tell us what is done in the magical world to take care of teeth. It will be interesting. We would love to hear about that.”

“Deal!” Ginny grinned happily, bouncing a little in her seat.

“Why do you have to go to St. Mungo’s dear?” asked her father, sounding a touch concerned.

“There is something I need to check on for Harry and possibly myself. It shouldn’t take me too long, as I only have a few questions to ask someone, if they even have someone there who can even address these particular issues. Once they answer them I will be able to meet you all at the clinic so don’t dillydally too much. I’ll be right over after I talk to Harry to pass on what I have learned, if anything.” replied Hermione, not wanting to give too much away. Her own health issues were her own matter.

“Good. I want to do something fun tomorrow afterwards. What is there around here that we can do like swimming or something?” asked Ginny.

“I am sure I can find us something to do.” Hermione grinned at the other girl. “You do have a suit with you, right?”

“I do. I hope it works. It’s not as nice as Fleur’s was for the Triwizard Tournament but it isn’t too bad.” admitted Ginny as she got some more dinner on her fork.

Hermione groaned. “Oh Merlin… let me at least see it before we make that decision. It could actually be horrible and need a lot of work or we might just need to buy you a new one. Most wizards have terrible fashion sense when it comes to muggle clothing.”

Ginny rolled her eyes. “That’s horrible, we just might have to shop, what ever shall we do.”

Hermione started snickering about that and soon Ginny started joining along. They kept laughing more and more each time they looked at each other. Hermione’s parents just gave them looks of great patience and tolerance.

Once the meal was over, the girls headed back to the bedroom to play some exploding snap for a little bit before bed. After a two games they changed into their pajamas, brushed their teeth, and talked some more. “So do you think you’ll get Head Girl?”

“Honestly I think it will be a bit unfair if they decide to give it to me.” answered Hermione, with a shrug.

“But why? You are brilliant and there is nobody in the whole school who can touch you academically. The only subject that Harry can best you at is Defense and that’s it. Even then it’s because of the practical and especially his insane Patronus. That and you are also a hero to the entire wizarding world. They would have to be utterly mental to not give it to you. There really is no other option that would make any sort of sense.” countered Ginny.

“It isn’t my year Ginny. I am coming back after missing a year due to the Horcrux hunt. This is your class year so the Head Girl should come from someone in your year.” said Hermione patiently. “I just think it isn’t fair for me to come in and take it is all.”

“So if they give it to you, you will just say no?” Ginny was incredulous at this notion.

“I am thinking about it.” admitted Hermione.

“Okay, how about you think about it this way Hermione, instead of thinking about the fact that it should go to someone from my year blah blah blah. If you get this very well deserved honor, you would have your very own bedroom and bathroom, all by yourself, without having to share it with anyone. From what I heard from Percy, the door to your room even has its own password that you get to set that not even teachers know. Plus you would have access to the Prefects Bathroom as well, if that is what you wanted. Percy also said that as Head Boy, he could have snacks and tea brought up to him after hours by the house elves in case you needed a snack while studying, seeing as you have lots of extra responsibilities. How is this even remotely a bad thing? Sure you would have all sorts of extra responsibilities, but you would also have all those lovely perks to make up for it.” stated Ginny, trying to make her case as clearly as possible.

Hermione looked at Ginny and narrowed her eyes as something occurred to her at that moment. “Why do I think that there is more to your support of this particular idea than meets the eye? You seem awfully invested in this notion.”

“Well, I must admit there could be something to that. I mean there is the fact that you could occasionally let your dear best friend in the whole world who would love you forever if you would let her share in some of these perks.” Ginny batted her eyes several times and looked at Hermione rather soulfully, holding her lightly clenched fists under her head.

“Oh! I knew it! You! Ginevra Molly Weasley, of all the reasons… oh!” huffed Hermione, shaking a finger at the red head.

“So is that a yes then?” grinned Ginny, waggling her eyebrows at Hermione suggestively.

Hermione dove onto the surprised redhead and started tickling. Ginny squealed and writhed, trying to escape the assault. When she started turning the attack back on the older girl that’s when things started getting interesting. Each girl was getting plenty of tickles in, rolling back and forth over the bed, neither truly gaining dominance over the other as they attacked. Then with a shriek of surprise they both rolled off the bed and hit the floor with a thud.

They just lay there on the floor, tangled together, laughing until tears were rolling down their faces. There was a knock on the door and Mrs. Granger asked, in a voice clearly filled with amusement, “Are you both still alive in there? Do we need to call an ambulance?”

Hermione struggled to stop laughing, which was difficult. Answering was important. “Yes mom. No need to call Emergency Services.”

“Good. Keep it down some, will you.”

Their giggles abated and they lay there next to each other, panting, and their clothes in all manner of disarray. When Ginny finally caught her breath she said, “That was fun.”

“Yeah it was.”

“I’m serious though ‘mione. You would be a really good Head Girl. You wouldn’t be a stuffy git like Percy. You would be approachable, helpful, and nice, the kind of Head Girl that Hogwarts would need to get back to normal after what we have been through. People would be happy to come to you to get problems fixed without bothering a teacher. And yes you may get extras for doing that but that just makes up for the job you will be doing.” said Ginny, turning her head to look at the bushy haired girl lying there beside her.

“I’ll think about it Gin. Though I have to admit, you have given me things to think about that I hadn’t thought about already. So thank you for that. And that’s even if they are going to even offer it to me.”

Ginny snorted.

“What?” Hermione turned to face Ginny, her brows furrowed in question.

“Please. I would be willing to bet you all sorts of good money that you get Head Girl and I get Quidditch Captain. There really is no other way that it would make any sense.” explained Ginny.

Hermione thought about it and realized that there really was no better choice for the Quidditch position and she was unsure about the post of Head Girl so it really was not a safe bet to make. She really hated losing. “I would rather not take your money.”

“Hah, you mean you don’t want to lose your money. Admit it ‘mione you think it might happen and that’s why you don’t want to bet.”

Hermione bit her bottom lip and then sighed. There really was no way of escaping the fact that Ginny really did know her well enough to guess that much. She had to capitulate. “Fine, I think it might happen. Are you happy?”

“Getting there.” Ginny yawned, covering her mouth. “It’s getting late. Maybe we should get some sleep.”

“I agree.” They climbed up, off the floor and under the covers. Hermione again used wandless magic to turn off the lights with a simple, soft spoken word. It did not take them long to fall asleep.

Hermione woke up screaming, her body convulsing as pain flared through her, nerves pulsing with fire and glass shards ripping through her insides, maniacal laughter ringing in her ears. She thrashed a little, lifting off the bed some as her back bowed. Strong slender arms grabbed her, pulled her in close, and held her safe, and a familiar voice that was warm and comforting kept saying over and over, “It’s okay Hermione, I have you.”

With a shudder and a long sigh, it finally registered to her that she was being held protectively in Ginny’s arms. Once she came to that realization, Hermione let loose what was left of her tension and just lay there, muscles unclenching slowly, flayed nerves calming down. She felt drained and did not even remotely feel like moving out of the grasp. Besides, Ginny was holding her comfortably and she was finding it easy to relax in the girl’s arms.

Meanwhile, Ginny was softly running a hand down her hair, her fingers moving through Hermione’s bushy hair and massaging the her scalp as the red head’s warm breath slightly tickled her neck and ear as she said, “It’s okay Hermione. It’s okay. You’re safe now. I have you. Shhh… I have you. You’re safe.”

Hermione finally found her voice, which felt a bit dry and sore, breaking the silence that had fallen between them when the soothing had slowed her racing heart to more normal levels. The hand continued to run through her hair, lulling her towards sleep while the other arm was wrapped around her, holding her close. “Thank you.”

“It’s okay. You held me when I needed it and I’m returning the favor. Besides, it’s not like you didn’t warn me about these, though it is a bit worse than you implied.” replied Ginny, seemingly perfectly calm.

“I’m sorry I woke you.” Hermione was growing embarrassed, but snuggled further into Ginny’s arms. There was a safety there she had never felt in Ron’s arms.

Ginny tightened her grip, pulling the girl even closer, letting the girl know she was welcomed against her body. “That’s okay. I am happy to do it. Was this about Bellatrix?”

“Always is.” grumbled Hermione. “I can never seem to get away from her for very long. But thank you, this is making my recovery so much faster. Usually I am up for several hours before I can go back to sleep, so this is really helping. I can already feel myself getting relaxed enough to sleep again.”

“Then I am very happy to help. You try to go back to sleep ‘mione. I’ll keep holding you while you do and we can see if that will chase that dead psycho bitch away from you. I’ll keep you safe.”

“Thank you Gin.” said Hermione, with a great deal of thankfulness, emotion filling her voice. “Good night.”

“Good night, ‘Mione. Pleasant dreams.” She tightened her arms into a hug and then loosened them just slightly, keeping the older girl against her body, stroking Hermione’s hair until the girl fell back asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Seven

Walking into St. Mungo’s, Hermione ignored the few surprised glances turned her way and headed for the information desk. Hopefully they would stay away and let her deal with her errand before she got mobbed by people for being a hero to the wizarding world. It had happened to her before, when she had gone to the Ministry to Floo to Australia. A group of people swamped her and made it difficult to get to the proper Floo and she did not want to deal with that now. She was really hoping that one of the Healers here would be able to help, as trying to explain everything that had happened to her and complying with the State Statute of Secrecy was difficult at best. No, she really wanted this for her but most especially for Harry. He really needed the help far more than she did.

The woman at the information looked up and started in surprise when she saw her, eyes wide, mouth dropping open. After a few moments the woman stammered out, “M-miss Granger.”

Hermione sighed. It seemed like it was going to be one of those days. Lovely. “Yes, hello. I need to see if there is someone here who I can speak to about treating damage from the Cruciatus Curse as well as treating someone dealing with battle fatigue, like with long time Aurors. I am doing some research into this area and wanted to get some advice from someone who works in this area.”

“Certainly, Miss Granger, I would be happy to assist you. You will need to go to the fourth floor, where spell damage is treated. Most of the issues of battle fatigue have been caused by repeat exposure to offensive and defensive spells. I will send you to Senior Healer Bainsley, one of our most knowledgeable on the subject. I am sure that he will be able to answer any of your questions.”

With a smile, Hermione thanked the woman and then headed deeper into the building, away from where people were starting to notice that she was there. She headed upstairs and once there, followed the directions from one of the staff at the nursing station to the Senior Healer’s office. Once she reached the appropriate door, she knocked politely. She only had to wait a moment before the door opened and an elderly wizard with a short, well groomed grey beard and octagonal framed glasses looked out, “Yes?”

“Senior Healer Bainsley?” asked Hermione politely.

“Ah… Miss Granger, please come inside. I was told you had some questions? Please come in, sit down. How may I assist you?” The healer moved and sat on a chair in front of his desk, gesturing towards the other one so that they could sit close to each other.

Hermione appreciated this and sat near him, not bothered at all by how close they were. “Actually I am afraid I was a bit disingenuous. While I do have questions this visit is for a consult but I did not want to let anyone know the true reason for this until I was actually protected by patient Healer confidentially. The potential fallout could be too great.”

Senior Healer Bainsley eyebrows rose in surprise at hearing this and he peered at her closely, trying to make sense of this. His voice was somewhat guarded as he said, “Go on.”

Taking a deep breath to center herself, Hermione summoned her Gryffindor courage and explained, “Back in late March, during the recent unpleasantness, I was tortured under the Cruciatus Curse by Bellatrix Lestrange. She put me under the curse quite a number of times and then she carved this into my skin with a cursed knife.” She rolled up the sleeve on her left arm to show the scar that still stood out boldly against her fairly pale skin. “Since then I have been having nightmares and other issues, including flares of pain similar to the curse itself because of it. They have been decreasing in frequency, which I am happy about but they have not gone away. I have been seeing a muggle therapist to help me deal with some of it but it has not really been helping as much as I would have hoped. I was not sure if there was actually a treatment for this available in the magical world, which is why I did not think to check here first.”

The man nodded, a bit shocked to be sure with what he was hearing, but clearly trying to make sense of the issue. “There is a treatment protocol for people who have undergone severe cursing trauma from that curse. There are some potions that you can take that can help with the residual nerve damage that you are no doubt feeling and there are other things that can be done to help with the nightmares. This is not an insurmountable problem, especially as you are doing so well this many months out from the event. With the proper care, you will only have the occasional nightmares that any trauma victim would occasionally have. I can do a diagnostic spell to assess the nerve damage to prepare the appropriate regimen of potions. And though I am loathe to ask, the other issue you mentioned?”

“You know who Harry Potter is, correct?” said Hermione rather flatly.

Snorting the man rolled his eyes, as if that were the most ludicrous statement ever. He then sobered. “Of course, I take it then that this issue concerns him.”

“Yes. From what I can tell Harry has been dealing with what the muggles call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, possibly some Survivor’s Guilt and… and well, he has also survived the killing curse a second time. Since then he has not been doing well at all.” Hermione was not sure how much to tell and so only stuck to the most basic facts at this point.

The man’s eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open. “A second time? He survived it a second time? That had not been reported in the news story.”

“We did not want anyone to know. Please, you cannot tell anyone and if I doubt your word even slightly I will make you take an Oath or even an Unbreakable Vow to that effect. Now I am sure you need more information so here are some more of the details I was able to get from him.” Hermione passed on what Harry had told her about how he had been lately, the issues he had been having and how he had reacted to the noise. She left nothing back and included her own observations, adding those onto the end, making it clear that those were her notes.

The Senior Healer suddenly got back to being all business and then nodded, following along with what she was saying. “Yes, you are quite right, this is very serious. Well, first things first, there are a number of things that can be done to help him, at least to mask the symptoms at first and then we can move forward and try for a real healing.”

“Can you keep this a secret? This would not be a good thing if it got out to the rest of the wizarding world. They would probably not deal well if their hero was having these sorts of issues. There are too many in the wizarding world who cannot deal with the realities of this nature.” said Hermione.

“Certainly Miss Granger and I quite agree with you on this point. What I can do for you right now is I can get you a collection of potions to give to Mr. Potter to help for a few days and then I will come to see him. That will allow me to get a better assessment of things on his end and to see if what I have given him has helped with the paranoia and stress.” said the Senior Healer with a smile. “I can also grab your medicine at the same time. Now let me get started so we can send you on your way.”

He got up, ran a diagnostic spell over her and then led her out into hallway. They went to a dispensary where he collected a number of potions, separating them into different groups and marking them with quick motions of his wand. He then handed her two lists he had written while he had been in the room. “There you go Miss Granger. I thank you for your questions and your interest into my field of study. I hope that these samples will help you with your research into this field. Take care and I hope to speak with you again.”

Hermione smiled, pleased that the man understood her need for discretion. “Thank you Senior Healer Bainsley. You have been a great help.”

She put everything into her expandable bag and headed downstairs. Once she got to the Floo departure point she went to go see Harry, as she was sure that he would appreciate being able to start this round of potions. If it would help then everything would be better.

She walked out of the fire and into Grimmauld Place and was brushing soot off of herself, calling out, “Harry?”

Kreacher walked into the room and saw her. “Master Potter is in the shower now. Please have a seat until he is clean.”

Hermione smiled. This was at least a better sign than when she had first come to the house. That showed at least some improvement in the depression. “That is good to hear. The house is looking better Kreacher. You have been doing a wonderful job.”

“Thank you.”

Hermione had a seat and waited as she took out the bottles marked for Harry and the directions for him, setting them down of the coffee table. She also took out her own sheet and began going over it, looking over the directions for her own medications and the treatment plan. It seemed that the potions that Fleur had given her were fairly decent for a first round of treatment but not perfect. These were supposed to be much better to treat the lingering effects of the curse and much more aimed at dealing with the specific issues the curse caused, which made perfect sense. Anything that could help would be greatly appreciated.

Shortly, Harry came down and into the room, looking healthier than he had the last time she had seen him, with fewer dark circles under his eyes. His hair was still a mess, but she figured that would never change. He smiled happily when he saw her, “Hermione, I’m glad to see you. Kreacher said you were here. What brings you over?”

“Well, I wanted to let you know that I found us a Healer that is happy to treat both of us and is willing to keep everything quiet. He is one of the Senior Healers at the hospital, which is a comfort. I explained everything to him and he understood things right off. Here are the potions that you need to start taking and the directions for taking them that should help with the more major issues. After a few days of taking these, send him a message and he will come to see you in secret to do a more through exam.” Hermione handed him over the sheet of parchment which explained everything.

“Hermione, you are brilliant. I can never say that enough. Thank you. I can never repay you.” said Harry as he picked up the paper and began to scan it.

“Coming to visit me at Hogwarts occasionally and keeping yourself out of trouble will be repayment enough. That will mean that you will be better enough to be in the outside world which would be excellent.” She smiled at him and he smiled back.

“Deal. So he thinks that these will help?” Harry lifted a few of the vials so he could read the labels.

“Yes he does. I have some for me as well. We may never get completely better, if what I have read about these sorts of issues is any indication, but we can get past the worst of it and get back to having a life again.”

Harry came up and hugged Hermione, resting his head on her shoulder. His voice was soft, “Thank you. Thank you so very much. And thank you for speaking to Ginny for me. I… I still can’t even think of talking to her.”

“She is a bit hurt about all of this but she understands. She cares about you but has let you go, knowing that you are hurting. But so is she. What helps is the fact that she has already had a year to get over you. So she is starting to move on, so don’t be too surprised to hear at some point that she is dating someone else.”

“Yeah, I guess I am a bit of a tosser for doing all of this to her.”

“You are but you are hurting so you get some slack for that reason. Just don’t make a habit out of it.” Hermione said with a slight laugh.

Harry grinned and said, “Thank you for taking care of her. You are a great friend to both of us.”

Hermione smiled back. This was going better than she had hoped. She then looked thoughtful as an idea occurred to her. It could really help things with Harry as it had with her. “You know, you might want to try talking to Luna about some of your worries. She has had to deal with loss as well, with her mother dying when she was young and the Malfoy’s had her for a while. She might be someone you could open up to as well, who might understand a little of what you are going through. She really was helpful with me and you said she was helpful to you after Sirius died.”

Harry shook his head and smirked. “Hermione Granger actually recommending that someone go to Luna Lovegood on purpose about anything. The world must be coming to an end.”

Hermione smacked him lightly on the arm. “Git.”

“Ron taught me well.”

That got them both laughing. Hermione looked at her watch and sighed. “Right, well, I need to go rescue Ginny. She went to go get a checkup with my parents so who knows how that is going.”

“She went to go see dentists? Voluntarily?” Harry was clearly confused by this development. He had been to the dentists a few times, mostly because the Dursleys had been forced into it so he was familiar with them.

“Yes, she has been staying with me for a while, to get away from the Burrow for a bit. It lets her get used to the muggle world a lot more and get away from everyone else in her family mourning Fred. This way she can mourn on her own and relax more.” explained Hermione.

“That has to be fun.” commented Harry.

“It has been. We have done a lot and she seems pretty fascinated with the muggle world, but not like her father. My parent’s really like her and so does Perdita.” replied Hermione with a smile.

“Who?” Harry clearly did not recognize the name.

“My owl.” Hermione answered with a cheeky grin. “Since we haven’t seen Crookshanks in a while and I have seen how useful they could be, thanks to Hedwig, I bought one in Australia while I was down there getting my parents. She is beautiful.”

“I can’t wait to meet her.” said Harry with a pert grin, his eyes having more life in them than any time in the last year. It was a nice thing to see.

“I’ll send you something soon then. And Harry, I do hope this treatment helps you enough that you can make it to the Burrow for your birthday. It really won’t be the same without you.” Hermione looked hopeful.

Harry just shrugged. “If this Healer really knows what he’s talking about than it should work out. Besides, I think I just might take you up on that suggestion about Luna. She really is very understanding and helped out a lot after Sirius died. I guess I will plan on seeing you there?”

“Absolutely. And I will tell the Weasleys about your issues after your party, so they won’t swarm you. And if you need anything else, just contact me.”

“Thanks Hermione. I will. You’re a lifesaver.”

Hermione headed out to the back garden and disapparated to an alleyway that she had used before when she had recently traveled to her parents new dental clinic. This new office was in a nice location and actually a good bit more modern and up to date than the old one had been. They had been able to get their old house back because Hermione had cast a few spells to protect the property to a degree. It hadn’t been easy and it had pushed her knowledge of spells to the limit, but it had been important to her. She was very glad she had, as she would have missed her childhood home. Being able to stay with Ginny in her old bed in her old room was special. Her parents had also been very appreciative of that as well. Another thing that had helped fix things between them.

Walking down the street to the building that housed the clinic she was thinking about how Ginny was faring with her parents. She was sure the girl was fine, but Hermione was wondering how the red head had done with the exam and all of that, and if she were able to keep from making any of the assistants question her sanity. Without any doubt she knew that Ron would never be able to pull that off. He would never really be able to blend well in muggle society because he just never seemed to want to exert the effort necessary to learn much about it. It made her so crazy all the time. Had he not been aware that that was a part of her life and always would be? But he was no longer her problem and that was actually a nice relief. Right now all she had to worry about was getting herself better. Anything else might be a bit too much to deal with.

Hermione walked into the clinic and smiled at the receptionist as she headed to the back. She went to her parents shared office first to see if Ginny was waiting in there and there the red head was, sitting there happily, reading a book. Hermione smiled at the girl and said, “So how did everything go?”

Ginny looked up in surprise and then answered with a smirk, “Really well. Apparently I have no cavities but I need to… uhm… what was that word again… floss more.”

“Did they show you how to do that or is that my job?” Hermione was shaking her head. She was almost certain what the answer was going to be given her parents. Some things were rather predictable.

“They said it’s your job.” said Ginny, clearly amused with all of this.

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Fine. Are you ready to go?”

“Yes.” Ginny stood and headed over to her. “So what’s the plan.”

“Well, let’s go back to my house and we’ll get ready. And then I guess we can go swimming.”

After they said goodbye to Hermione’s parents and apparated back to the house the girls got changed into their swimsuits. Hermione had to admit that Ginny looked really good in her one piece suit. The girl’s athletic body, thanks to all of her training in Quidditch, really looked toned and there was a nice balance of muscle and curves. It was difficult to look away. She felt a good bit frumpier next to the Ginny, as she knew that she did not look nearly as good in her suit. She was fit, as all the running, hiding and fighting of the last several years had ensured that, but it was nothing in comparison to the red head.

Once they were ready to go, and Hermione had hidden her scar under a variation of the disillusionment charm, Hermione said, “Right, so we are going to a nearby swimming facility. We can go to the bus stop and then it is a few stops away from here or we could walk, which should be longer. That should be fun.”

“What is it going to be like?” asked Ginny, actually interested in this whole idea.

“I think I will keep it a surprise. Just don’t be surprised if some boys try to chat you up.” said Hermione with a smile.

 Ginny looked surprised, as if that idea had never occurred to her before. “Really? You think so?”

“Remember there are a lot more muggles than witches and wizards.” said Hermione. “So the odds of someone flirting with you are pretty high Gin. Besides, you look great.”

Ginny grinned and winked at Hermione, standing in as sexy pose as she could manage. “Well, that’s not too bad. A girl needs to get what love she can.”

“Ginevra Molly Weasley!” Hermione was scandalized by the way that Ginny was acting.

The red head jumped and then glared at her. “Honestly ‘mione, how can you make my name sound worse than my mother can?”

Hermione just grinned happily and walked out, whistling one of her piano pieces. They took the bus, as it would be faster and they wanted to spend more time at the pool. The two girls had fun while they were there. Hermione was able to use her ability to cast wordless and wandless magic to apply the simple sunscreen charms to them so neither girl would get burned, despite Ginny already being a bit more sun exposed than she was. Playing in the pool was fun and they both got chatted up, which was a pleasant experience for both of them. She had never really been chatted up before as only Ron had shown interest in her back at school. It was nice but it did not really do anything for her and she was not exactly sure why. It was a bit unsettling.

As they headed back to the Granger home, Hermione pondered this issue. Why would it be that flirting guys did nothing for her? It was a bit disconcerting. Was there something wrong with her? As far as she knew, she did not think there was anything wrong with her and she knew that she could tell that some boys and men were attractive. After all, she was well aware that Harry was attractive and there were male actors that were attractive as well. And honestly, if Lucius never opened his mouth and just sat there doing what he was told, he would be perfectly good eye candy. Fundamentally it came down to the fact that men or boys just never really… moved her for want of a better term. Now that she really directed some thought towards it, the only sexually or partially sexual driven dreams she had were those dreams that kept eluding her, only yielding glimpses, teasing her with hints of something deeply passionate. Even snogging with Ron was not as intense as those dreams were. This entire situation was frustrating her and she couldn’t think of any way to fix it or make sense of it.

“Hermione? Are you in there?”

She started a little at the sound of Ginny’s voice. “Oh, sorry, yes?”

“We’re almost at our stop. Honestly, haven’t you heard a thing I have been saying?” asked Ginny somewhat amused but also a bit concerned.

“I’m sorry, I was a bit distracted.” admitted Hermione, a bit shamefaced by that. She did not want Ginny to think that she wasn’t paying attention to her.

“Clearly. What were you thinking about? You had your serious thinking face on.” said Ginny, with a slight snerk.

“My what?” said Hermione, clearly surprised by that observation as they exited the bus.

“Your serious thinking face. I have noticed that you have several different types of thinking faces, from the casual thinking to the serious thinking, with a number of variations in between. I can usually even tell what topic you are studying by the thinking face you are wearing. Haven’t you ever noticed that I almost always walk up to you and ask you about the specific homework you are working on even though I might not be able to see the books you are working with?” clarified Ginny with a smile, walking backwards as she talked.

“Well, yes I had but I was sure you were noticing other things not my face.” Hermione blushed at that. Had Ginny really noticed that? And did she really have different thinking faces?

“Well, those kinds of things tell me a lot, so I can be a better friend.” Ginny shrugged. “You know, I never got why Ron has never picked up on some of that. I mean, really, it is just so obvious. I know Harry got some of them.”

“Really?” This surprised Hermione, as Harry, while not as clueless as Ron, was not overly observant outside of the Quidditch pitch or combat. To be able to catch details like that shifted her appraisal of his general observation skills upwards several tics.

“Yes. We have talked about your thinking faces before. It was really quite funny. We both admitted that we like your Arithomancy face the best. You look so cute with your face all scrunched up and your tongue sticking out.” Ginny looked upwards as if she were recalling the exact image and she smiled happily, chuckling slightly. “I think your Ancient Runes face is my next favorite.”

“I am glad that I could amuse you.” Hermione’s voice was flat, as she was slightly annoyed.

“It wasn’t like that. It was during your sixth year, when Ron was being more of a prat than usual while snogging Lavender. Harry had noticed that you were brooding but you didn’t have any of your usual thinking faces on that he was aware of and that worried him. So I filled him in on what you were brooding on.” explained Ginny. “He was simply trying to be a better friend to you.”

“Well, he really was. I wish I had been a better friend to him that year and had listened to him about Draco. So much would have changed if we had just listened.”

“Me too. I am sure we all do. We were all so caught up in our own lives that we sort of forgot about the war or tried to. Harry never did and the rest of us failed that year.” Ginny sniffled some.

Hermione hugged her loosely and then let her go. “It’s over and despite our mistakes we succeeded.”

“But would we have lost fewer people if we hadn’t been idiots?” Ginny’s voice was quiet and sounded a bit shaken.

Hermione moved forward and enveloped Ginny in a hug again, holding the girl against her. “I know Gin, I miss him too.”

Ginny sniffled some more and relaxed into the hug, tears starting to flow more, sniffles turning to sobs. Hermione could feel a few tears on her neck but she chose not to mention them. It was not really all that important in the long run. Besides, she was well aware that Ginny liked to look strong especially when she wasn’t. It probably had something to do with dealing with her small army of brothers who would have picked on her otherwise. Right now, away from her brothers and being held in her arms, was probably one of the few times where Ginny felt like she was allowed to let that barrier down. Hermione rubbed the red head’s back, trying to calm the girl and make her feel better as Ginny let her grief out.

After a while, it seemed to work. Ginny pulled away and blushed, unable to meet Hermione’s eyes, as she wiped the salty trails from her face. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be Gin. I understand. Letting go like that would be impossible for you at the Burrow. I am here for you any time. Come on, let’s go home, watch a movie, eat some ice cream and try to feel better about life. Okay?” Hermione smiled softly, her own eyes a little wet with tears. There had been so much loss and devastation at all last year that Hermione was grieving a little bit as well.

Ginny smiled faintly as she wiped the tears from her face. “Yeah, that sounds like fun. Your mom has been telling us we needed to see Romeo+Juliet, so I guess we can see that one. It sounds interesting.”

Hermione grinned, pleased that Ginny sounded interested in Shakespeare. The two girls walked arm in arm towards the Granger’s and Hermione said, “Deal.”


	8. Chapter 8

Eight

The next few weeks were enjoyable. The girls were able to do whatever they wanted, such as watching all kinds of movies, touring more of muggle London, going to one of the theme parks near London, but mostly getting to spend time with each other without the stress of school or anyone else butting in all the time as was the norm at the Burrow. It was lovely. This allowed Ginny to let down her walls more and cry her grief out and it let Hermione form a much tighter bond with her best female friend. Without the interruption of the boys at the Burrow it made that process so much easier.

That morning as they came downstairs chattering away about their plans for the day, they noticed an owl with two letters taping on the glass of the back door. Hermione went over and opened the door, plainly curious, as it was not Perdita. The owl dropped the letters into her hand and then flew off, not even bothering to wait around for an owl treat. Hermione grinned when she saw the writing on them.

Ginny was helping set the table while Mrs. Granger was cooking breakfast and was only able to see this out of the corner of her eye as Hermione walked back in. “What is that?”

“Our Hogwarts letters have arrived.” She replied, handing Ginny’s letter over. “Here’s yours.”

Hermione opened her own letter and pulled it out and something else fell out into her palm. She looked at it in surprise and her eyes widened in recognition. There was simply no way she was seeing what she was actually seeing. This had to be some sort of mistake.

“Yes! I made Quidditch Captain!” crowed Ginny, holding out her badge. “Hermione, look.”

“Congratulations Ginny.” said Mr. Granger as he came over to the table. “I am sure you will be great at that.”

“Thank you. I will certainly try my hardest. Hermione what do you think? Hermione?” Ginny moved closer to her and looked a bit confused as Hermione was not reacting to what was being said.

Hermione meanwhile, had sat on her chair staring at the badge she held in her hand. Part of her was immensely proud of it, proud of what it represented and all the work she had done over the years to obtain it and a part of her was unsure if she even wanted this honor, as she was not even sure if she was that girl anymore. Ginny had made sure she knew the positives of the position but this was still… was this even something she wanted anymore?

Ginny looked over her shoulder and into her cupped hands and shouted again, hugging the stunned girl excitedly. “Yes! Head Girl! Yes! You are incredible Hermione!”

“Head Girl? Well done Hermione.” said her father, clearly proud of his daughter’s accomplishment. He smiled broadly at her. He seemed even prouder of her now than she was when she had become a Prefect.

Her mother called out from the kitchen, as she probably couldn’t hear things clearly in there as she was preparing breakfast. “What was that?”

“Our daughter has been made Head Girl of Hogwarts.” called out her father, raising her voice loud enough to really carry.

“Really? Oh, I am so proud of you Hermione.” called out her mother.

“I’m Head Girl? Really?” Hermione was still in a bit of a daze. It really did not seem all that real to her. Sure she had been trying for this, but after the last year she had honestly given up on this dream to focus instead on far more important things, like staying alive and trying to kill a madman. Even with the badge in her hand it was hard to believe that this was real.

“Yes really. Oh Hermione, you will be absolutely brilliant at it like you are at everything else. I can’t wait to tell my mother. She will be so excited for you.” Ginny said, needing to hug her again. She was being overly bouncy in her excitement, reminding Hermione a little of Tigger.

“Well, we can go back to your house after breakfast if you want. That way you can let them know about all of this. It will only be a day or two early.” said Hermione.

Ginny looked conflicted, biting her bottom lip in thought. Hermione started laughing, rolling her eyes at the girl. “Honestly Ginevra, do you really want to watch Romeo+Juliet again?”

“What? I like it. I have never seen anything like it before and it really is amazing. The visuals are stunning and… and… and… shut up.” Ginny was blushing and looking down at the carpet, fidgeting a little. It was kind of adorable.

Hermione got up, snickering and headed in to help her mom bring in the food. She came in carrying plates of strawberry and cream crepes for her and Ginny. Once the rest of the food was there and everyone had their meals, they all tucked into their breakfasts. Ginny moaned happily when she took a bite and said, “Mrs. Granger, these are amazing. Thank you for making them. You will have to tell me how you make these some time.”

Mrs. Granger smiled, cutting a piece of her own crepe covered with powdered sugar and honey butter, “Thank you Ginny. I would be happy to.”

“Oh my mother would be so jealous of these.” That comment got Hermione to giggle which resulted in both girls laughing for a bit. The Grangers smiled as it had been explained how much Mrs. Weasley loved to cook and feed anybody who got even remotely close to her.

Once they finished, Ginny went to Hermione’s room and packed her things, looking forward to sharing her big news with the family. Hermione grinned, actually looking forward to seeing what Mrs. Weasley thought of her becoming Head Girl as well. That should be a good deal of fun. They really were a second family for her and their opinions did matter to her a lot. She hoped that they would be proud of her.

Ginny walked into the room with her bag, smiling broadly. “I guess I’ll go. But can I come back to visit again before we leave for school? This was so much fun I want to do it again.”

Hermione turned to look at her mother who smiled and nodded her head. Hermione grinned happily and Ginny bounced a little. This really was turning out to be an excellent summer, despite all the horror that led up to it. “How about the week between Harry and your birthday?”

“That sounds fun. I am sure Mom will be glad to have me out of the house to make her planning easier. Then I can come home and help clean the house and get everything ready.” Ginny frowned a little shaking her head. “Oh well, at least I get to spend more time with you.”

“Yes. It will be wonderful. I’ll be back in a little bit mom.” said Hermione, taking Ginny’s hand.

“Okay. Be safe.”

Hermione smiled and disapparated the two of them to the Burrow. Ginny and she walked into the house and Mrs. Weasley turned from where she was at the sink, clearly working on the breakfast dishes. She smiled at the girls, dried her hands and hustled over to hug her daughter first and then Hermione. “How are you girls? Did you have a good visit Ginny?”

“It was brilliant Mum. It was exactly what I needed. Thank you for letting me go. Oh, I also have some excellent news.” Ginny said, rocking back and forth.

“What?” Molly seemed interested, smiling at Ginny’s renewed energy.

“I got my Hogwarts letter this morning.” Hermione thought that it was cute to see how Ginny was about to burst as she slowly let the news out piece by piece.

“You did? What’s so excellent about that?” It was clear that Mrs. Weasley was somewhat confounded by what Ginny was saying. She looked between the two girls for an answer.

“I’m the new Gryffindor Quidditch Captain.” Ginny said with a broad grin.

“Oh Ginny, congratulations.” Molly pulled her daughter into her arms again. “That is wonderful. I am so proud of you. Oh my little girl, Quidditch Captain.”

“And guess what else?” teased Ginny.

“There’s more?”

“Oh yes Mum, there is more. It seems as if our dear little Hermione here is going to be Head Girl.” Ginny grinned and winked at the bushy haired girl.

Molly snapped her head over and looked at Hermione. “Is it true?”

“Yes Mrs. Weasley, I am going to be Head Girl.” said Hermione with a growing grin of her own.

She got pulled into one of Molly’s near bone crushing hugs. “Oh, I am so proud of both you girls. After all of this, for you… for both of you to…”

Molly turned and sat heavily at the kitchen table, tears falling. She grabbed a dishtowel and dabbed at them. Ginny rushed over, taking one of her mother’s hands. “Mum what’s wrong?”

“It’s just that… with everything that has happened, this is finally some good news for all of us. I am happy for you girls, I really am, but it makes me think about all we have lost as well.” Molly said with a sigh. “Perhaps a cup of tea will help soothe me.”

“Certainly mom.” Ginny went over to the stove and started working there, prepping the cup.

Hermione stood there a bit awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Nothing she had learned had prepared her to deal with this sort of thing. Molly smiled at her and stretched out a hand and said, “It’s alright Hermione. I was just overcome. Take no heed of it.”

Hermione took the older woman’s hand and squeezed it. “Alright. I hope you feel better soon. I should be going. I told my mother I would be back soon.”

“Thank you Hermione. Take care of yourself. I will see you at Harry’s party won’t I?” asked Molly.

“Absolutely. I wouldn’t miss it for anything. Good bye Ginny.”

Ginny came over and set down the cup of tea in front of her mother. She walked around the table and hugged Hermione, saying, “Thank you for a great break from things. Good bye ‘mione. See you soon.”

Hermione apparated home, back into her bedroom, so as not to shock her parents with the noise and her sudden appearance. She walked into the living room, calling out, “I’m home.”

Her mother looked up from what she was reading and smiled, “That was certainly quick.”

“I just dropped her off and we told Mrs. Weasley the news. That was all we did. There were hugs all around. She was very excited for both of us.” Hermione smiled fondly as she recalled everything as she told her mother.

“Well it is exciting news. I am happy for the both of you. It was nice to have Ginny over. She is very polite and helpful and really enjoyed being here. She is certainly much nicer than Ron. I can definitely see why you really like her.” Her mother went back to her reading and thus missed the effect that her comment had on her daughter.

Hermione froze when her mother said that as the last sentence ran through her brain several times, each time slightly different things in the sentence were emphasized. She _really_ liked Ginny? Not just liked her but _really liked_ her. Liked her so much that it was plainly obvious to others? That was what her mother said and her mother was not known for misspeaking or hyperbole of any sort. It was a fundamentally different statement than ‘I can see why you like her’. That one word addition did change the implied meaning and shifted things in a very different manner. So what was her mother inferring with that particular turn of a phrase or more to the point, what was going on with her right now in reaction to this? Her reaction to this was far more extreme than she would have expected. She needed to think this through and make sense of this as it was making her a bit light headed. “Mom? I’m going upstairs for a while. Okay?”

“That’s fine. Your father will be back in a little while, he went to get something from the store and then he is going to work in the garden for a bit if you wanted to help him. If you don’t that’s fine as well. You know how he is with his garden.” Her mother did not even look up from what she was reading.

“Okay.” Hermione went to her room and shut the door, closing out any possible distractions. She rested her head against the door and sighed, what was she thinking? Was she seriously considering what that sentence seemed to denote, that she might be interested in Ginny as more than just a friend all because of what her mother said?  That was simply insane. She turned around and saw the bed which was still expanded. It still had the sheets they had slept on and the blankets were still slightly ruffled. They had not taken the time that morning to do more than throw the sheets and blankets up by the pillows, roughly making the bed. It still looked like it had been slept in by two.

She could feel heat rise in her cheeks and she was sure that if she looked in a mirror she would be blushing. She swallowed heavily and blinked a few times, looking out the window, a nice safe, neutral direction. Her bed was making her blush? Seriously? Was she going mental? This whole idea needed to be considered before things got any more ridiculous.

Instead of sitting on her bed, which she still couldn’t look at without coloring, she sat down at her desk chair and pulled out a notebook and pen. No she needed to work this out before her thoughts just crashed. It was just insane that this train of thought was spiraling so out of control in her head. So how was she going to do this? Well if the question were simply if she were interested in Ginny in that way, wouldn’t that be a yes or no question? That should be simple enough to answer… right? Or would she rather consider the possibility that she might be interested in girls in general? Or that she might simply be fixating on that elusive dream of hers and Ginny just happened to be the closest non-Ron Weasley to that image? Ugh… that last one made her sound like a bit of a tramp and that did not appeal to her.

Well, maybe part of that had some merit. That recurring dream had been driving her towards something as of late and she had woken up with soaked panties and a need for relief more than once thanks to variations of that dream playing through her head. So if she were able to work out the details of the dream and compared them to Ginny then that should be able to end this whole foolish matter right there, right? Or at least give her some degree of relief from this idea of madness. She groaned in frustration.

She wrote down the details she could most easily recall such as the red hair, the strong slender arms, the freckles, the different types of loving touches, the searing kisses, and the warmth she felt when she was with them as well as the comfort and security that their presence gave her. That was all she clearly remembered. She would have to work more if she wanted to niggle out any further particulars.

Well, the hair was clearly the right color being that it was your basic Weasley red and closer to Ginny’s color than Ron’s. She had to admit that thanks to her training as a Chaser, Ginny’s arms were slender and strong. There really was no denying that. When she held Hermione after her nightmares she was indeed comforting and warm. Ginny really had a knack with calming her down and getting her to fall back to sleep. She also had to admit that she felt safe in Ginny’s embrace. When Ginny held her she felt like nothing could ever hurt her. The redhead’s touch was definitely… well maybe not loving at the moment but maybe there was something there. As for the kisses… Hermione blushed at the thought of things they had never shared. Okay, maybe this train of thought was not being as helpful in denying this idea as she had initially believed.

Directing her thoughts towards the dream, with Ginny in mind as the other person, other details became clearer and clearer, minutiae starting to pop out more, which shook her. She could see more aspects of the dreams as she thought back now over them and she was not really sure what to do. She could start to see those familiar brown eyes looking at her with lust, with love from that well known face. And then there were the known patterns of freckles on her face. Then she could see the skin, as the two of them were twined together. Then there was movement. Then there was sound and the dream ended with Ginny whispering to her, in a husky voice filled with emotion, “I love you Hermione Weasley.”

Hermione practically choked when she recalled that. She felt even more light headed and she had to steady herself against the desk, as she was afraid she might fall from her chair. There was no doubt in her mind anymore. Being able to recall the dream, that dream, in such vivid detail pretty effectively nailed things down for her. If her dream was that clear upon further recall than what would it be like if she actually had the dream again? Hermione swallowed nervously and cut her eyes over to the bed. The idea was kind of terrifying, kind of titillating. What was becoming of her life? Was this a good or bad development?

Well, she did say that she wanted to change her life and not let anyone else shape what it would become. And if Ginny was who she honestly had feelings for and what she believed in, then shouldn’t she actually follow up on that? But what did that actually even mean? How does even one live that way? She knew nothing about how to like girls, ask them out of dates, be a lesbian. Maybe she needed to find a place that had books on the subject? Yes, books would be good. Books could help. Books would be just the thing!

But where? She was lacking a great deal of information on this topic and that was most distressing. This was a problem that needed correcting right now.

She turned and looked at her computer. Well, like she had told Ginny, there were all sorts of sites containing information on the internet and that was what she needed most right now, information. If she was actually attracted to Ginny then she needed to figure this whole thing out before she did something stupid, like tell her. She hated looking stupid above anything else and the best way to fight against that was to go find all the information she could.

The search took a while as she fiddled with different search parameters but she eventually found an address for a store that sold books on the subject that was actually in London. That was what she most needed right now, books. They made her feel better and comforted her, gave her strength, helped her find her way when she was lost or confused. Maybe if she got the right books and the right information she could make sense of all of this, because honestly it was making her a little bit mental. Just because it happened that Ginny was the person in her dreams did that mean that she honestly wanted Ginny? No, she could not make any decisions now, not without pertinent information. There was no need to jump the gun. She had to deal with this carefully and think through this to the end.

She grabbed her things and headed to the living room, “Mom, I’m heading out for a little bit. I should be back soon.”

“Okay. Be safe dear.” said her mother absently.

“I will mom.” She walked out to the backyard and disapparated to an alleyway close to the store she was heading towards. Hermione was nervous as she headed towards the bookstore. She was a bit embarrassed to be going in there as the name was so amazingly not subtle as to what it was about, Gay’s the Word. But it promised to have the books she needed and that superseded everything at this point. She would probably have even dealt with a Death Eater if they had the information she needed, maybe even gone so far as to deal with Malfoy. That thought made her pause. Rolling her eyes at herself she had to admit she just might have a problem.

She looked through the large, full front window at all the books on display and it calmed her nerves. This was not some sort of strange den of gay iniquity, it was simply a bookshop. Despite the name it was still something she was completely familiar with. This was a known and she could easily do this. She walked inside through the blue door and she looked around the shelves, unsure exactly how to proceed. Given the breadth of her search what sort of titles was she actually searching for? There was another customer browsing the shelves but farther back and he was an older gentleman. She frowned. This would not do.

“Can I help you?” A woman in her early twenties with her blonde hair in a shag cut walked up. She was wearing a name tag reading Sharon.

“Uhm… yes. I… I am looking for some books to help me with a problem. Well not a problem but rather something new and rather unexpected. I think I might be attracted to women, well one woman, but I am not really sure if I am or not or even what I am doing and I would kind of like to figure things out. Do you have any particular titles that can help me?” stammered Hermione, her cheeks coloring more and more the longer she talked.

“It’s okay, relax, no one is judging you here. We have all been there. Let me guess, you are just starting to figure all this out and it is freaking you out?” said the woman kindly.

Hermione nodded her cheeks still quite red.

“Right. Well, I think you will probably need something on coming out. That will probably help you the most right now. And perhaps you could use something on relationships, if you are interested in getting into one. If you really want lots of information I can even recommend a good book or two on Lesbian sex. There are a few more things I can suggest that might help as well, get you to relax a bit more.” suggested Sharon with a salacious grin.

“That sounds good. Uhm… do you happen to have anything like Lesbianism: A History? I like to see things in as broad a context as possible. I just really need as much information as possible.” Hermione fidgeted a little, slightly uncomfortable talking about this.

“Oh, you’re one of those girls. Well, I’m not familiar with that particular title but there are a number of decent books on gay and lesbian history. Do you want something broad based or more focused?” she asked in a friendly manner that helped Hermione calm down even more.

“Broad based for now. I am looking for more global knowledge at the moment.”

“Let me show you the shelves and the books that I would recommend. You could browse as well and see if anything else strikes your fancy.”

“Thank you.” The conversation calmed her down and soon Hermione was browsing shelves and collecting books. There were a few on the discovery and coming out process that she found interesting, a couple of relationship books that seemed intriguing, a fairly good sized and detailed sex book that made her eyes pop, and a couple of novels that tickled her fancy. She was enjoying herself going through the shelves and found a book on recent history that seemed interesting and one Sharon recommended on more general history of gay and lesbian culture. That was quite nice to have. This would allow her to better be able to frame things in their proper context. It was a fairly good sized collection of books.

Now her next task would be to see if there were similar books in the magical world, but how could she search for those sorts of things without drawing too much attention to herself? If there were any books with similar titles at Flourish and Blotts that covered any of these topics, if she went in and bought any of them that news would be all over the wizarding world in a manner of minutes. Everyone would know what she had done. She had no polyjuice available and she hated using illusion spells on herself. No, it seemed as if she would have to wait until she got to Hogwarts and search the library there.

The problem was she already knew most of the books that were there and did not recall any particular titles that could imply anything of the sort. She would have to ponder this. As it was, she purchased her stack of books and headed out, stuffing the books into her bag before disapparating home. There was no need to allow her mother or father to see anything that might alarm them at this stage when she was still in the data collection phase of things. No, it was better not to tell them until she had a better idea of what was going on. No need to put the cart before the horse.

She put the books into her school trunk after she had masked them with a few spells, to avoid prying eyes from reading the titles. It really wouldn’t do for anyone to stumble onto them and figure things out before she was ready to tell anyone. Once those precautions were set it was time for her to sit back on her bed and start reading her first book on the whole issue of coming out from a lesbian perspective, to see if it had anything to say that would help her with this quandary.

One hundred and seventy three pages later Hermione was sure of one thing, she needed to talk to someone but also sure that she couldn’t talk to her parents about this. That would really be way, way too much at this point. No she needed to talk to someone that she knew that she could have a heart to heart with that would not tell everyone and their brother her business. With that there were only two people that she could think of that fit those parameters and of those only one of them was not going to be going to classes with her in the fall. She needed to contact Fleur and see if she could talk to her. This was all so confusing that she needed a friendly shoulder to cry on and work all of this out with.

Hermione lowered her face into her hands and groaned in frustration. This whole situation was just what she needed. Her life was not complicated enough, what with everything else going on. What was she going to do about all of this?


	9. Chapter 9

Nine

Hermione was tangled in her blankets and her knickers were more than just a little damp when she woke up. Images of the dream danced clearly through her mind, now unfettered, set free by her pursuit of the truth. All she could do at this point was lie back on her bed and groan, resting her forearm over her eyes. There was no hiding from the perfect recall of memory now. Things in that dream had been very clear and left no doubt at all in her mind who it had been about. What was she going to do?

Worse than the damp knickers, was that fact that she ached a little down there, not in pain, but in need, yearning for touch, a wanting, for something or more specifically someone to touch her, to slide fingers between her lips and fill her in a way that she never had been. All she could do was grumble in annoyance as the clock on her bedside showed that it was close to breakfast time and there really was no time right now to take care of that need either in bed or in the shower before food would be on the table. No, she would have to go downstairs and deal with her parents with her nethers throbbing this way, just asking to be touched. All she could hope was that her nipples would play along and not get too hard all on their own to proclaim her state of arousal to her parents. Her robe would help but only so much. She thanked the stars it was not as obvious as it would be on a guy. That would be completely mortifying.

She headed into the bathroom to take care of other needful things and saw the mess that was her hair. It took some concerted effort with her brush and spellwork to get it less tousled bedhead and more respectable. She splashed some cold water on her face which helped cool her ardor a touch and headed downstairs. Her father saw her and smiled, saying, “Morning Hermione.”

“Morning Dad.”

“Did you sleep well?”

“I slept fairly fitfully.” said Hermione, having a seat. She poured herself some tea from the pot, fixing it with some honey and milk just as she liked it. Maybe the little bit of caffeine would help.

“Sorry to hear that. Was there something keeping you up?” Her father put down his paper and looked at his daughter worriedly.

“I… I had a few things on my mind, that’s all.” said Hermione as she got some toast and spread butter and marmalade on it, trying to avoid eye contact.

Her mother came in and sat down, taking in Hermione’s appearance in a quick glance. She asked with some concern, “Trouble sleeping?”

“Yes.”

“Well, it’s probably nothing more than you just got used to sleeping with Ginny.” commented her mother, almost as an aside.

Hermione almost spat her tea everywhere and it was only through the greatest of efforts that she was able to swallow. What was her mother thinking? She set down her cup and asked, “You think?”

“Honestly Hermione, the two of you were sharing the same bed for several weeks. That is certainly enough time for your body to get used to something, especially while sleeping. It probably took a few days to get used to sleeping with her at first and you’ll get used to sleeping alone again in a few days. There is nothing to worry about.” commented her mother, clearly not worried about this development. She looked over at her daughter with a slight smile.

Hermione could not meet her mother’s eyes as she finished her meal. That whole idea was almost too much to deal with, especially with the current revelations and the renewed pulsing in her loins that came back when her mother brought up her and Ginny sleeping together.

Once she was finished eating, Hermione fled upstairs and got dressed for the day, thinking that perhaps going for a walk and reading something somewhere away from home might be a safe plan, at least until her parents left for their clinic so she wouldn’t have to face them while thoughts of Ginny molesting her or vice versa ran through her head. She started heading downstairs with her copy of Lord of the Rings so she could have another read through when the doorbell rang. Being the closest to the front door at the moment, she called out, “I’ve got it.”

Wand at the ready and off to the side, Hermione opened the door. There standing on their front stoop was an elderly woman dressed in such an amalgam of fashion types that it clearly screamed wizarding born witch to Hermione. She narrowed her eyes, her combat skills getting ready even though this woman did not seem like an enemy, but she had learned not to judge on appearances. She had clearly seen too much to trust appearances alone. “Can I help you?”

“Ah, yes, Miss Granger, you are just the person I am looking for, may I please come in?” The woman’s voice was friendly and welcoming, enough to get most anyone else to lower their guard.

“Who are you?” Hermione asked, still on her guard, her grip tightening on Bellatrix’s wand.

“Ah… yes, how forgetful of me. I quite understand. I am Christiana Warbeck. I work for the Ministry, in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Wizengamot Administrative Services, specifically dealing with Last Wills and Testaments. It is a distinct pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

The introduction threw Hermione some. She had not expected a Ministry employee to show up at her house. In point of fact, she liked the fact that living a more muggle life kept the magical world away from her for the most part. Daily Prophet reporters did not show and clamoring fans even stayed away, worried about breaking the State Statue of Secrecy. “A pleasure. Come inside please.”

She led the woman into the living room, where she motioned to her to sit down. The woman sat and Hermione followed suit. “Would you like me to get you some tea?”

“No thank you. I would rather prefer to get down to business if you don’t mind. I am following up on an amendment to the Will of Remus John Lupin that was processed through Gringotts towards the end of April of this year. That was all very legal, proper and managed to nicely dodge the recent unpleasantness. I am here to carry out one of his bequests.”

“Professor Lupin left me a bequest?” replied Hermione quite confused.

“Yes he did.” She pulled something out of her pocket, set it on the floor. She drew out a wand from her robes and then, with a familiar gesture of her wand and a muttered incantation, the trunk expanded to full size. She handed over a sheet of parchment to Hermione and said, “According to his Will, the bequest is to deliver this trunk to you along with the following message, ‘The name is the key.’ I do hope that is clear enough to you as no one else in my department has been able to make heads or tails of it and the trunk has some of the most interesting security spells on it I have ever seen, including some I am unfamiliar with.”

“Not really.” said Hermione. She noticed that the lock had no keyhole, which was intriguing, though given the use of magic not that unusual all things considered. There was surely several different ways to secure a chest with magic. “Thank you though.”

“Thank you. Well I must be off. I have a few more deliveries to make today. My work is rarely ever done. There is a sadness to it but it is fulfilling. Thank you so much for… well, for everything really.” The older woman seemed a bit at a loss for words, coloring a little.

“You are quite welcome.” replied Hermione, glad she had been taking a break from the wizarding world if it meant that there would be more encounters like this. Having people thank her for basically fighting to stay alive seemed like a strange thing. And they seemed so grateful for it as well. She really had no idea how to deal with it. She was getting a much clearer idea of what Harry had been going through all these years.

She escorted the woman out and then returned to the chest, staring at it, cocking her head slightly to the side as she considered it. Her mother came in, took a look at it and asked, “I noticed that you were talking to what looked like a Ministry employee, so I left you alone. What’s this?”

“Apparently my old teacher Professor Lupin left me something in his will. It is this chest and clearly whatever is inside.” replied Hermione, her eyes never leaving the chest, tracing over the complex pattern of runes and sigils on the metal banding. There were even some interesting runes and such on the wood. This really was a heavily protected object. The wood was a deep rich reddish brown color with dark brown leather straps and what looked like brushed copper or bronze bands.

Her mind was running over the message the woman had left, the name is the key. There is no way that it would be Lupin or Remus, as those names were far too easy to get as anyone would know to use them. That would also eliminate John as well, for obvious reasons. In order to actually secure the trunk it would have to be something private. What name would he use that no one else would know? The only thing that she could think about was… Hermione smiled, leaned down near the lock and whispered confidently, “Moony.”

The lock popped open and she was able to lift up the lid, with a broad grin on her face. There were five nested, locked trunk lids in there, with two letters in envelopes with wax seals lying on top, one with her name on it written in Professor Lupin’s familiar hand writing, and a key ring with five keys. Keeping the keys locked in there was certainly a way to keep everything nice and secured, except from other Marauders. She picked up the letter and pulled it out. Wondering what he had to say to her to explain this, she opened it with trembling fingers.

_Dear Hermione,_

_You really are the brightest witch of your age and that is something I admire about you. If I am not standing there handing you this than something bad has clearly happened to me. This is not altogether unexpected in a time of war but distressing nonetheless. What I am presenting you with is a temporary loan if you will, until the permanent owner is of age._

_What I am giving to you are my private school journals. In these are the details of spells I worked out, pranks we pulled, discoveries we made, how we built the Marauders Map, the mirrors, how the others became Animagi, and many more things. All the secrets of the Marauders are yours, as well as a few other items that I learned after our school days._

_I do this not because I owe you, or something like that but rather because of a common bond that I feel you and I share. The two of us are the brains behind our bolder friends. We are the ones who ensure they can succeed. We are the rational voices that keep them from total destruction. We work harder than others and help them to learn the things they need to in order to survive often times themselves. And we are also both scorned by the larger wizarding society for no other valid reason save being who we are. We really are far more alike than we are different Hermione and that is the reason that I knew that I had to let you read these. Great minds should share wisdom after all._

_I do ask you though that when Teddy comes of age and heads off to Hogwarts that you dole these out, providing him with the appropriate years journals at the appropriate time. I know I can trust you to do this because you are a true unwavering Gryffindor in the pursuit of what you believe. That way my son can get to know me in this manner and learn lessons that the school never taught._

_Take care of yourself Hermione Granger. May you find true happiness and love, even if it occurs for you like it did with me, coming at you from an unexpected place. Do not struggle against it like I did, you will only lose in the end. Remember, you have earned it._

_Your friend,_

_Remus J Lupin_

Hermione put down the letter and sat back in her chair, stunned, wiping a few tears from her face. Was she really being given access to the Marauders combined wisdom, well more specifically Lupin’s but it was practically the same thing? Despite her original reticence about the Map and some of their ideals, she had to admit some of the things the Marauders had come up with were amazing and had saved their lives quite a few times. If Lupin were the brains behind the Marauders, and after having met Sirius and Pettigrew it was not all that difficult to believe, then this was an incredible gift. There was so much she could do with this, so many ways that she could use this information. But to think that Professor Lupin had thought of her towards the end… he really was a great man.

Taking the key ring, she moved the other letter which read Teddy, and unlocked the first section which opened up to a large section filled with leather bound journals. She estimated that there must be at least forty or fifty of them at the very least. If this part was nothing but journals than what was in the other four sections? Her curiosity was growing and it would certainly need to be sated.

“So this is something good then? You clearly seem pleased.” said her mother, trying to understand exactly what it was that her daughter had just received. It looked interesting.

“Mom, Professor Lupin was a wonderful professor that we had in our third year. He was the most helpful Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we ever had who was very knowledgeable and could teach well. On top of that, when he had been in school he was part of a group of boys, which included Harry’ father and Godfather, that were known for pulling elaborate pranks and generally getting away with it. He was the brains behind it all. These are his journals of all the things they had done in school, the magic they had created, everything, as well as a few other things. It is an incredible gift.” gushed Hermione looking down at the journals with undisguised lust in her eyes. “And when his son is of age I am to give him the journals and maybe a few other items. So I do get them for a good while. I am quite touched by this.”

“You’ll make use of this then?” asked her mother with some humor in her voice.

“Oh yes.” Hermione pulled out one of the journals at the top. On the first page it read, _The Journal of Remus J. Lupin, Age 11, Gryffindor House, Journal 2_.

“Well, you have fun with this. Your father and I have to go in to work. Call if you need us.” Her mother hugged her and kissed the top of her head.

Hermione had to admit that she did like that her parents were more demonstrative with their affection now as opposed to before. It seemed that the stress of the Obliviation, the overlaid personalities, and recovery had an effect on that part of their actual personalities. She could not argue with this change as she had to admit that she approved. All that time spent with the Weasleys had gotten her much more used to such an emotionally affectionate family and she had come to enjoy it, even crave it to a degree. Her parents even seemed pleased by this change. “Bye mom. I’ll be here or if I go anywhere, I will leave you a note or call.”

Her parents left the house and she could hear the car driving away. She had found the first journal and she was currently torn. Did she want to start reading these or continue her important research? Without that she could not really figure out what to do and she was sure that she would be interacting with Ginny sooner rather than later. The birthday party for Harry was coming up and if she did not have this issue settled by then it was going to be very uncomfortable for her to be around her favorite red head. Despite this treasure trove at her finger tips that was calling out for her to delve into it, she needed to deal with the more pressing issue.

Reluctantly she dropped the journal back into the chest. This was frustrating but she had a responsibility to herself to solve this particular riddle. If she could do that then a part of herself might fall into place and that would provide some much needed relief. She had not really covered enough of the material to honestly be able to figure anything out with complete accuracy, at least to her standards. However, she had to admit that the more she read the less likely it was becoming that this was either a weird phase she was in or merely an errant fancy. No this did seem like it was a truth but she wanted to be sure. It would not do to for her to leap before looking.

Taking the chest upstairs, Hermione got out her new books and started reading again, one of the other books she had purchased on coming out. As she was going through it, everything kept sounding more and more familiar, like the experiences being described were taken right from her own life, as if some of these experiences were pictures in her own life. She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Closing that book, she grabbed one of the books she had bought on relationships, reading about some of the issues involved in two women being together. Things seemed to be pretty much the same as any other relationship, but there did seem to be a few incidental differences.

And then she got to a section discussing sex. She started blushing as she read those parts, the parts that talked about the simple and basic aspects of sex for lesbian couples. Her face burned and it was difficult to keep reading, but keep reading she did as she also could not really look away either. She did find herself getting aroused and even a wet as she read more, as her imagination lingered on the descriptions of various practices. Her breathing got a bit rough as she started thinking about red hair, slender arms and lips that she really wanted to taste in terms of those particular sexual sequences. She groaned in want.

With one hand she began to unconsciously rub one of her breasts, her thoughts drifting as she began to picture scenes from her own dreams. It felt pleasurable and her nipple grew erect under her fingers, the moves turning more focused and intentional. Her hand slid down and then up under her blouse, rubbing on the satiny fabric of her bra, occasionally cupping and squeezing, giving her a variety of sensations. Realizing that she might want some absolute privacy while she did this, despite knowing that her parents were at work, she quickly cast a locking spell on the door and a silencing spell to mask any noise she might make.

This felt so good. She had masturbated some while she had been at school, as privacy spells worked well on the drapes of the beds and she had been alone in the Prefect bath a few times. But it had almost always been while she had been fantasizing about Ron or some vague red headed male. It had been good and she had certainly enjoyed getting off, but now it was pictures of the youngest Weasley running through her head and there seemed to be a greater charge to them, more excitement, a much higher erotic charge to everything.

The book, no longer needed, dropped to the mattress and that hand snaked down her body, to unbutton her jeans, sliding down her zipper and slipping into her panties. She was so very wet and the first touch was electric as her finger brushed across her clitoris. It gave her a jolt and she practically gasped at how aroused she was. She dipped into her already deepening pool of wet and dragged it up, to make things more comfortable and easier as she played her fingers over herself, rolling and brushing her clit just the way she liked.

Pictures of her kissing Ginny, of kissing down the girl’s neck to the red head’s freckled breasts, of running her hands over the curves, over the play of athletic muscles, the taut buttocks, to come around the hip, sliding through curly red hair to dip her own fingers into Ginevra’s cleft, to feel the girl’s own liquidy slickness rolled through her mind. It made her pant, her head thrown back into the pillows, the speed and pressure of her fingers increasing, her other one pinching and flicking her nipples. The pleasure within her kept building, increasing, and her mind still imagining things, of Ginny kissing her, of pleasuring her, fingers sliding inside, curling within her. As she pictured the redhead smiling up at her from between her legs, warm brown eyes filled with happiness and mischief, Hermione moaned out phrases wordlessly, her body shaking as the climax slammed into her like the Whomping Willow.

Lying there, smelling her own arousal, she just stared at the ceiling, panting, blinking at it, and hand still down her pants. She began chuckling, her body trembling a little with the after effects. That had been, without a shadow of a doubt in her mind, the best wank she had ever had. Her body was still tingling over that, from her head to her toes. “Oh Merlin… I guess this really means that I am a lesbian.”

As she snickered, Hermione began to recall her sixth year, in Slughorn’s class when she smelt Amortentia for the first time. The smells that had hit her then had been fresh mown grass, new parchment and then she had shut up not saying the third thing she had smelled. When asked about it later she had said it had been spearmint toothpaste but it hadn’t. It had actually been the flowery scent of the shampoo that Ginny used and still used. Even the toothpaste she had mentioned had not been too much of a lie, as Ginny used the same brand that Ron used. Had she really been hiding from this realization for that long, maybe longer?

Hermione shook her head and sighed, pulling her hand free, two of her fingers somewhat sticky. Just how long had she been attracted to Ginny? Clearly those feelings were somewhat set enough in her by sixth year to affect her perception of the potion, so had it built while they were working so closely in Dumbledore’s Army? That seemed likely. She had spent a fairly good amount of time with Ginny then, working with the girl on various spells and charms. And she had clearly been worried about her over the last year. So now that left her in a much more uncomfortable place: what was she going to do about it? Would Ginny even be interested in her? Was Ginny even interested in girls?

This speculation was going to make her crazy. She had solved one major question but that had only resulted in the creation of many, many others. She needed to actually come up with answers to all of this. But at least she had an answer to one part of this whole tangled mess, but what was she going to do about dealing with all of this? She had to admit that everything she had looked at clearly showed that she was a lesbian. There was no doubt about that. That was huge realization. That on its own was messing with her perception of herself but adding that to her needing to decide what to do about Ginny? And what was she going to tell her parents? It was all enough to make her head spin.

Would they be disappointed in her? Would they want her to leave? Would they be upset with her? Would they still love her? Would they be happy for her? Would they simply smile and say they already knew? After having read about the good and the bad that could come from coming out to those you love, Hermione was a bit scared about the prospect of telling her parents about this. It was a rather terrifying proposition and once you said this thing you could never unsay it. And… and depending on their stance, would that mean that they would not allow Ginny to come back? And what would they think about her being interested in Ginny anyway?

Again there were too many questions to deal with created with too little information to actually answer anything. It was becoming a far too common issue as of late, especially with this particular topic. This was not a trend she approved of as it made her uncomfortable. Why couldn’t her life have been easier? Why couldn’t she have simply been straight and happy with Ron, living the life it seemed like she had been destined to have? Everything had seemed so much easier when she had been that good little prefect girl in love with Ron. She lifted her left arm and gazed at the scar there, letting her eyes drift over the letters of the word that would never leave her, reminding her of the hate and the why she could never be happy being that girl. Mudblood.

In all honesty, it could just as easily say Lesbian given the way some people saw this issue. Either way it may be a part of who she is but it was not everything about her. She was who she was, a crazy mix of all sorts of things, some that people liked and some that people disliked. No one word or idea was ever going to change her or cage her in or define her. Yes, this entire issue scared her, terrified her by what it could cost, but she had to do what made her happy, what made her free. There really no other option that she could even stomach. Anything less would mean that Bellatrix had won after all.


	10. Chapter 10

Ten

The green flames of the Floo showed Hermione’s face poking out through the coals and she called out, “Fleur?”

The part Veela woman came over and smiled down at the girl, “Oui? Bonjour ‘ermione, please come through.”

Hermione stepped through the flames and ended up in the very familiar Shell Cottage. She went over and hugged the lady of the house. “Hello Fleur. How are you today?”

“I am quite well. ‘ow are you?” asked Fleur with a smile.

“Not too bad. I still have some nightmares and some issues with residual pain, but I have been seeing a Healer who specializes in treatment of this sort of thing. It has been helping.”

“That is good to ‘ear.” It was very easy to see the sincerity and relief on the young woman’s face.

“Thank you. The Healer told me that your assistance was instrumental to my being as healed as I am. I came over today because I could really use your advice on something and you were the best person I could think of to help me with this.” admitted Hermione, with a slight shrug. She then looked around, “Bill isn’t here, is he?”

“Non, William is not ‘ere. ‘e is at work. Are you okay? What is it that you need?” asked Fleur, leading Hermione to the comfortable sitting room, gesturing for her to sit down.

“I… well, I realized something about myself the other day and that only led to more questions and so I need some advice so that I know how best to proceed with things.” Hermione’s voice shook only a little when she said that. This was making her nervous and she knew that she was only talking in vagaries.

Fleur raised one eyebrow in question and her eyes widened happily. She smiled at the bushy haired girl, “So you ‘ave realized it then? That is wonderful. I am ‘appy for you.”

“Wait, what? You knew?” Hermione was a bit stunned and she sort of fell back into the seat, eyes wide. How could Fleur have figured this out when she hadn’t been able to?

“What, that you had feelings for women? Oui. I ‘ave known about that since we met at ‘ogwarts. Part Veela, remember. I could tell that there was an attraction from you to me. It was not a great draw as it was with some of the males but it was there and I could feel it.”

Hermione blushed, looking down at the floor. Fleur had been able to notice her interest that far back? Did that mean that she might have been into Ginny far longer than she was aware? Eyes even wider, her mouth opened and she said softly, “Oh.”

“Non, non, do not be embarrassed by this. ‘ermione, you are a beautiful woman and that you are attracted to women is no great thing. There are some in the wizarding world who would be upset by this but not all, not even most. Witches ‘ave ‘ad power for themselves for a very long time and that ‘as included who they could be with. There is a reason that ‘ogwarts ‘as two women founders. This might throw some but do not worry about them.” Fleur moved over and hugged Hermione, pulling the girl closer to her.

“Thank you Fleur.” Her voice shook a little as these revelations were a bit of a surprise. She had not really been aware of these sorts of aspects of wizarding society because no one really talked about them and there really was no class to educate the muggle born in the ways of their new world. It was completely sink or swim. Maybe she should talk to Professor McGonnagall about that.

“Now, ‘as someone captured your eye or your ‘eart?” Fleur asked playfully, her voice nice and light.

The blush on Hermione’s face deepened and spread down her neck and up into her ears. She could not bring herself to meet Fleur’s dark blue eyes. Fleur laughed happily, quite delighted with this, clapping a little, “Oh la la, someone ‘as. Oh ‘ermione, you must tell me who it is.”

“I… you see… its… uhm… I…” stammered Hermione, at a total loss for words. She had no idea how to say this in such a way that would not get her into any sort of trouble. It was a known fact that Weasley’s stuck together and Fleur had certainly integrated herself into that family. What would she say if she knew? Fleur had figured out the first thing but saying this part, it was almost impossible for her. She knew that the consequences could be dire but if she wanted the help in dealing with this she had to try.

Fleur looked at Hermione worriedly, almost as if she could read the progression of thoughts, “Really ‘ermione, is it that bad? This girl that you ‘ave feelings for… who is it? The only way I could think it could be that bad in your mind would be if the person you were attracted to were me or Ginny.”

Hermione made a slight strangled noise and looked down at the floor, wishing she could disappear into it. This conversation was really not going like she had thought it would. Fleur was figuring things out and she was not really saying much of anything.

“It is Ginny? Really?” Fleur leaned in and hugged Hermione again. “It is okay ‘ermione. Do not fear. I will tell no one about this, not even William. It is your secret to keep.”

“Thank you.” Some of the stress she had been feeling went out and she relaxed.

“D’accord. You are my friend ‘ermione and I know this must not be easy for you. I will ‘elp as I can.” Fleur rested a hand on Hermione’s forearm in a comforting gesture. It really did help her calm down some more.

“I… I have feelings for her, deep feelings, as I smelled her in Amortentia, and I have no idea how to let her know I am interested in her or even if she is interested in me. I… I am so confused Fleur.” Hermione lowered her face into her hands and groaned.

“What kind of advice do you want?”

Hermione bit her bottom lip and looked up at the ceiling. She was so nervous and part of her saw this as so hopeless that there was no point in even trying. It was terrifying and she did not know what to do. She closed her eyes and sighed before looking back down at Fleur. “I… I want to be with her Fleur but I’m afraid. I don’t want to lose her and I think that if I say anything about this I will lose her. I couldn’t stand that. She means too much to me.”

“Do you really think that she will deny you, that she will keep you out of ‘er life forever? ‘ermione, you are ‘er best friend, even if it all goes poorly when you confess your ‘earts love she will still be there for you. You two ‘ave been through so much that I cannot see any way that this will break your friendship. And in terms of ‘ow she will treat your ‘eart when you ‘and it to ‘er… you must trust to love.” Fleur held Hermione’s hands and looked the girl in the eyes as she said this to drive this point home.

“So what do I do? I don’t know anything about this and I don’t want to be as bumbling as Ron. I have never really been in a relationship like this before or ever had to tell someone how I felt. I have no idea what to do. Any suggestions?” Hermione looked at her a bit desperately.

“Non, but think about Ginny. You know ‘er better than anyone else. That alone should make it easy for you to figure out how to approach ‘er. What method do you think would actually work? You are very smart ‘ermione, figure it out.” Fleur tightened her grip and then let Hermione’s hands go, patting them before she withdrew them.

Hermione snorted. “I think, you just want to be able to honestly say that you had nothing to do with that part of things if asked.”

Fleur laughed a light happy sound. “Oui, there is a little of that, but this is your conquest ‘ermione. When one has a conquest like this, especially when it is their ‘earts desire on the line they can get advice but they must be the ones to plan things out. It makes the victory all the sweeter.”

Raising an eyebrow, Hermione stared at her, trying to read what the blond was not saying. There were a few things in the woman’s face that she could sort of read. She slightly cocked her head and asked, “You honestly think I can do this?”

“I think that if you listen to your ‘eart and trust in your feelings, using that brain of yours that you can do a great many things. Victory is in your ‘ands.” Fleur smiled and it did little to assure her.

“So you think I should tell her but do it in such a way that it works to draw her in?” mused Hermione aloud, working out what she was hearing.

“I did not say that.”

“No, but that was what you were implying. It does give me something to work with, though it will be a challenge.” Hermione gave her a smile that was a bit more sure and confident. Sitting up straighter, she was starting to believe that she could do this.

“And we all know ‘ow our ‘ermione loves ‘er challenges.” Fleur giggled after she said that, amused.

Hermione rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “Yes, yes we all know that I do love a challenge and that this will be a pretty tough one as I am scared about it. And I still have to figure out a way to tell my parents about this.”

Fleur pursed her lips in thought, “I remember Molly saying that you were going back to ‘ogwarts?”

“Yes…” Hermione was unsure where this was leading.

“Then what if you spend the rest of the summer coming to accept this part of yourself, telling your parents a little before you leave about this, giving you time to deal with them before you leave. This lets you talk to Ginny either on the train or at the school, away from other distractions. You would be in a safe place with no other Weasley’s to interfere.” suggested the silvery blond witch.

Hermione was quiet as she pondered Fleur’s suggestion. Was this whole thing really a good idea? If she wanted Ginny to stay over again later in the summer and they slept in the same bed it would be murder, it would be so difficult to restrain herself from caressing the girl she wanted. But if she waited for the train to tell her that she was attracted to girls would Ginny get upset over having slept with her in the same bed? But if she timed everything just right she might be able to actually do this right. It was going to kill her. With a sigh Hermione nodded, “That might work out. Thank you Fleur.”

“My pleasure ‘ermione. I am always ‘appy to ‘elp with issues of love.” Fleur seemed pleased with how things were turning out.

With another breath to steel herself, Hermione stood, “Well, I should be going while I still have my nerve.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. I plan on telling Harry at least about this. At least the part where I like girls. I am not sure Ron will understand but I am sure Harry will. Besides, as the last person to have been after Ginny I kind of feel that I owe him this. If he is good then I won’t feel like I am cheating on my friend.”

“’arry is a wonderful young man. I am sure ‘e will understand after you explain everything to ‘im. Thank you for coming over. I am glad that I was able to ‘elp.” The two young women embraced. They walked over to the fireplace and Hermione grabbed some of the Floo powder that was being stored in a flower pot just like at the Burrow. With a smile Hermione threw it into the fire, announced her destination and stepped into the green flames.

She stepped out of the fireplace at Grimmauld Place and brushed the bit of soot that always seemed to end up on her after a trip off. It wasn’t much and she was grateful for that. Dirtier fireplaces left more soot. As she looked around she noticed that the room was quite a bit cleaner and a bit brighter than it had been before. That made her smile. That would surely be helping Harry deal with some of his issues. Kreacher came into the room and said, “Miss Granger, what can Kreacher do for you?”

“I am here to see Harry. Is he in?” asked Hermione politely.

“Master Harry is in the kitchen.” His voice was still a bit hollow sounding.

She followed the old house elf deeper into the building. The house elfs attitude was far far better than it used to be. She was looking forward to seeing Harry again. It had been a few weeks since they had talked but she missed him. True, his party was only in a few days, but she wanted to do this away from other people. The fewer people who knew about this the better. Besides, she was still getting used to living without seeing him daily and that was taking some getting used to. It was pretty weird.

She heard voices up ahead and she raised an eyebrow. This was an interesting development. When she entered there was Harry, talking to Luna, and they were sitting fairly close. With a smile at them, she said, “Afternoon you two.”

Harry jumped slightly, hand moving towards where his wand was stashed and then relaxed some, “Hermione hello.”

“Hello Hermione. Nice to see you again. I should go Harry. It looks like she has something she wants to talk to you about and it is probably important. I will see you tomorrow.” Luna rested her hand on Harry’s for a long moment and then walked off, resting hand on Hermione’s shoulder briefly as she passed. “Take care Hermione. It will be alright.”

Hermione turned her head to look after Luna as Harry stood and moved over to the stove, “Want some tea?”

“Sure Harry.” She said as she took a seat at the table. “How have you been?”

He poured a cup and set it before her, sitting back down where he had been. “Not bad. Thank you very much for your suggestion about talking to Luna, she really has been a big help.”

“Not a problem Harry. I am glad that is working out for you. Luna is a really sweet girl and since talking with her helped me I was sure she could help you. I was really worried about you.” said Hermione, reaching across the table to take hold of one of Harry’s hands.

“Well the medication and talking to the Healer has been helping. I am still kind of shaky but a lot better than I was. If I remember to take my potions before the party I should be fine. And if I have Luna nearby she might be able to help talk me down if anything happens. I’ll even have some potions with me just in case.” admitted Harry, squeezing her hand tight and then letting it go.

Hermione raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly, “Growing close to her are you?”

Harry blushed and looked down at the table, trying to turn the conversation away from himself, “Uhm… er… so what’s up with you?”

She looked at her cup and sighed, taking a sip, letting Harry change the topic. That he felt the need to do so was interesting and a bit of an admission right there. This was definitely a topic that would need to be pursued later. And the color of Harry’s cheeks… oh yes, this topic would have to be revisited. But now it was time to get to the reason for her being here. Steeling her courage, thankful that she had seen signs of Harry being interested in someone else, she began, “Well, you know how I have been going through a lot lately, and changing?”

“Yes. That much has been pretty obvious. And I have to say, I really do like this new look of yours but the things I have seen you in would have been terrible for running from Death Eaters.” Harry smirked and snickered some.

Hermione rolled her eyes, “Prat.”

“Yeah, but that’s why you love me.” She reached over and shoved him, making the dark haired boy laugh. “So what is it?”

“Well, a lot of my changing has been because I have been thinking a lot and coming to some realizations. The Manor really made me look at things differently, shook me up and made me see that I was living my life for other people. And because I determined to live my life my way I have decided to follow up on my new realizations.” Stated Hermione, staying vague, even though she knew it was not going to help Harry understand her.

“Okay.” Harry stretched the word out, making it clear that he was following along but not entirely sure what she was saying.

“Well, the thing is… what I wanted to talk to you about is… well, you see Harry, I realized something a few days ago and honestly… it has shaken me up. I wanted to talk to you about this, because, well, it kind of changes my life a fairly good amount.” Hermione kept talking around the topic, still unsure what to say.

“What is going to change your life?” She could tell that Harry was starting to get all protective, like he usually did. It was endearing but now was really not the time.

“You can’t tell Ron this, as I know he wouldn’t understand. I know I will tell him about this at some point but I have no idea what to say to him. You have to promise me Harry.” Hermione was quite adamant.

“Alright, alright, I promise. Do you need a Wizard’s Vow or something? You know, you actually haven’t said anything to me yet.” grumbled Harry.

“Sorry. I just had to get that out. This isn’t really easy to say. I… uh… so, Harry… I just need to let you know that I’m… well… I’m… a lesbian.” Hermione’s voice grew quieter as she went along.

Harry blinked a few times as if he were trying to make sense of what Hermione had just said. He leaned forward and looked her in the eyes, his green eyes more intense. “Wait… did you just say that you were a…”

She just sighed and closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead in frustration. “Yes Harry I did.”

“But you… Ron? I thought you two were going to…?” Harry was clearly confused, trying to process all of this.

“Now you see why I don’t want you to tell him. He wouldn’t understand and I bet he still thinks that we are going to get back together. If he found out that I liked girls he would get upset. I don’t want to do that to him. We don’t need to fight again and especially not over this.” said Hermione, her eyes pleading with her best friend.

He held her gaze and then nodded, giving in to what she was asking. “Okay, so you are into girls. Wow… You know that is really going to take some getting used to.”

Hermione shook her head and said lightly, “Think of it this way Harry, now we have something else in common.”

With a groan Harry said, “Hermione that was terrible. That was almost as bad as something Ron would say. Why would you say something like that?”

Snickering, her grin huge, Hermione said, “Well I have been hanging around you two idiots for seven years, so I guess your sense of humor may have rubbed off a little bit.”

“Thanks a lot. It’s our fault… again. Great. So, what brought this about? Is there a girl you fancy?” asked Harry honestly, looking like he was honestly trying to accept and deal with this new development.

Hermione blushed a little as she thought about Ginny and how she kept appearing in her dreams. “Uhm…”

“So there is.” chuckled Harry, enjoying the slight squirming that Hermione was doing. This was a change from the usually cool and collected girl he was far more used to seeing.

“I… uh… well you see… uh… yes.” She was finding it a little difficult to look Harry in the eyes.

“So are you going to let me know who it is?” asked Harry casually.

“I… I’m not sure. Do you really want to know?” asked Hermione, pleading with her eyes that the answer would be no.

“Merlin Hermione, I was only teasing you, but if it is affecting you that much then it has to be someone we know. A stranger wouldn’t get you this tangled up.” Harry sat up a little straighter and peered at her closely as she fidgeted under his gaze. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

Hermione looked up at him with a slight look of desperation on her face. She really didn’t want to do this. “Harry… I haven’t even told her yet Harry, don’t you think that’s a bit unfair?”

“Nope. I’m your best mate so I can help you get her. That’s what best mates do for each other. You helped me so now I am helping you. I mean, how do I even know if she is good enough for you? Only the very best for my Hermione.” said Harry, looking all proud and brotherly.

“Urgh…” Hermione lowered her face into her hands. How did she get into these messes? True she should have expected it with Harry as she kept forgetting that he really was quite smart and able to put pieces of things together rapidly when he was actually paying attention. It would make sense that he would be able to figure out some of this. Thankfully he was not able to figure out all of it, unlike Fleur. Should she tell him? Since he had been after Ginny for so long would he get upset? But he seemed to be currently interested in Luna if she was able to read things correctly, else he wouldn’t have stammered so much and tried to have changed the topic. Should she take a chance? They were friends, the best of friends. Surely he would be able to see that despite what she was going to tell him. After all he seemed fine with things so far. After all they had been through after all these years he might get a little bit angry with her but he would never abandon her over this… right? “Fine, I’ll tell you who it is but I want to state right now that I am telling you under duress. If it shocks you or freaks you out remember that you asked for this. Don’t get mad at me for this Harry James Potter, it’s not like I can control who I am attracted to.”

“Oh man, now you really have me concerned. Who is it? Oh Merlin… it’s not McGonnagall is it? Please tell me it’s not McGonnagall!” Harry actually looked rather terrified that his guess could be true.

“Harry! She’s a teacher!” Hermione was quite affronted at the suggestion that she would be in such a relationship. She wanted to smack him and barely restrained herself. “And she is older than my parents. It would be like dating my grandmother.”

“Right, right, sorry, so I guess that means that Miss Pince is out as well. So who is it? I mean, I can’t imagine you with any of the Slytherins and you have wanted to smack Cho forever, so it can’t be her. There are a couple of cute Hufflepuffs but I just don’t see it. No… I’m at a loss. Please you have me on pins and needles here Hermione. You have to tell me who it is.” pleaded Harry looking a touch desperate, even if a touch of it was just an act.

She took a deep breath and looked at her left forearm “Fine… I’ll tell you. It’s… it’s Ginny.” said Hermione, looking down at her tea and then taking a drink to fill the sudden silence.

There was a long moment of silence that sat between them before Hermione looked up. Harry looked completely shocked by this admission. His eyes were wide and he looked a little like he had just been hit in the back of the head with a board. As the silence stretched out longer, Hermione began to get nervous and fidget some. This was not a good reaction. He blinked a few more times and then he asked in a voice filled with disbelief and confusion, “Ginny? Ginny Weasley?”

“Yes Harry, Ginny. Ginevra Molly Weasley. We don’t know any other Ginny’s. That is who I fancy. Oh Merlin, I am such a headcase.” Hermione lowered her head to the table and groaned.

Out of all the response she had posited, she had not expected Harry to start laughing. These were not small titters or giggles, no these were the deep belly laughs of someone deeply amused. He was laughing as if he had been hit with a tickle jinx, and eventually fell off the bench and onto the floor. As he was laughing she could hear him gasping out as few words, “Headcase… fancy… Ginny…”

She banged her head on the table a few times, hoping that would give her some sort of relief. It didn’t. She groaned in annoyance and complained, “Honestly Harry.”

As he was trying to catch his breath and control himself, pulling himself to his feet, Harry said, “No, no, I’m good. Oh man… thank you. I needed that. You, Hermione bloody Granger, a headcase. That’s rich. Oh man… so funny. And you know… thinking on it, I think I actually get you and Ginny, I really do. She kind of… you know… fits. She is more like you than Ron ever was, since she actually does her schoolwork without copying, but she still has that element of life and adventure that you seemed to like in our favorite prat that brought you out of your shell. No, I really can see it. And there is no question that she is good enough for you. She is too good for me, so at least the better woman can get her. No Hermione, you go get her. I approve.”

“Harry, I haven’t told her how I feel. She might… she might reject me.” Hermione sort of pulled into herself as she shared one of her deepest fears. It made her fell so vulnerable and fragile when she said that and she hated feeling that way. The slightest thing could possibly break her when she was this exposed.

He scoffed and shook his head, waving his hand dismissively, clearly finding her fears groundless, “Someone reject Hermione Jean Granger, not going to happen. Look, if it weren’t for the fact that you are practically my sister, I might even go after you.”

Hermione came around the table and hugged Harry tight, resting her head into the crook of his neck, trying to fight back the tears that were fighting to rise up. “Thank you. That really means a lot to me. Do you really think she would be okay with this? With the idea of us?”

“I think so. I mean, she was team mates with Katie Bell who was really, really close to Leanne Spinks, who was in Hufflepuff, if you know what I mean. That particular relationship was kind of an open secret, at least amongst us players. Also she follows the Holyhead Harpies, which has a couple of players who happen to be lesbians. There are a couple of others in the league as well. So, this is probably not going to be something that really throws her. This is something she is aware of and knows. That part should be fine. As for the part where you fancy her… all I can say is you’re on your own for that.” said Harry, offering up some of his sage advice.

“Why are you such a git?” Hermione glared at him in mock anger.

“Well, according to Snape it is clearly genetics.” His eyes went from playful to saddened.

Hermione hugged him again, remembering what they had learned about the former potions master earlier that year and how it had changed everything. She smiled softly, “Well, Snape would know from gits, wouldn’t he?”

Harry snorted and replied somewhat fondly, looking off into nowhere. “Yeah, that he would.”


	11. Chapter 11

Eleven

Perdita was waiting patiently at the backdoor when Hermione came downstairs for breakfast the next day. She could see through the glass that the hawk owl had two letters tied to her legs and was pecking gently against the back door, but not too loudly. Hermione opened the door, scratched her very smart owl behind her head with two fingers, and then retrieved the letters once she set her down on the back of a lawn chair. With those in hand it was clearly time for a reward so she grabbed some of the owl treats and gave them to her. Once Perdita had finished eating and getting loving from Hermione the hawk owl flew over to her favorite perch that overlooked the backdoor and went to sleep, clearly a bit tired.

As she brought in the letters from the back yard, her father looked up from his meal, put down his cup of tea and asked, “Oh? Mail? Who are those from Hermione?”

“One is from the Weasleys and the other from Ginny. They’re replies to letters I sent them yesterday.” said Hermione, as she poured herself some tea after sitting, the letters next to her plate.

“What do they say?” Her mom asked curiously, as she spread some marmalade on her toast.

Hermione unrolled and scanned the Weasley’s letter first as it probably held the most pertinent information. It was not overly long and it did not take her any length of time for her to go over it as her eyes scanned over it quickly. She looked up at her parents with a smile and answered, “Mrs. Weasley says it would be fine if you two wanted to come along with me to Harry’s birthday party. She and her husband would love to meet the both of you and that way you could interact with my friends for more than a few minutes as has been usual. That would also allow you to meet more of the people that I know in the magical world. I know I should have mentioned it to you before asking but I wasn’t sure if the Weasleys would be fine with it. Are you both okay with this?”

“Hermione, it’s alright. We are fine with this. I think it will be great fun as we can get more involved in your world and get to know your friends. We have felt rather isolated from your life these last several years and I know part of that was the fact that you were protecting us from a very real and terrible threat, but that threat is gone now thanks in no small part to you and these same friends. So yes, we absolutely want to go to Harry’s party if for no other reason to thank him for keeping you safe and ending this threat. All of your friends did this and so, yes, we want to get to know them. We want to know this world you live in better because it lets us know you better.” said her mother, with a big smile.

Hermione got up from her seat, came over and gave her mother a big hug, smiling broadly with tears in her eyes. She wasn’t sure she would really be able to put into words how this truly made her feel. This was really a level of acceptance for this part of her life that she had never really expected, with how they had slowly grown apart during her time at Hogwarts. This was perfect and it almost made her choke on words. She went with a very tired standby instead that she knew would come close, “I would love that.”

“And what does Ginny have to say?” asked her mother, an interested smile playing over her lips.

Hermione took that letter and read it. The smile that was growing as the kept going farther and farther into it kept growing. There were a number of things that she couldn’t share with her parents, but there was at least one thing she could. “Oh this and that, mostly that she had a wonderful time staying with us, that it was just what she needed, et cetera. She also said she would be happy to spend a few days over here before her birthday on the 11th. I hope you don’t mind my offering her the chance to stay?”

“That’s perfectly fine Hermione. I will have to ask her mother if we can come over for that party as well, as Ginny is a lovely girl and we would love to celebrate with her. I am glad you and she are close. I was worried that you might not have a good girlfriend, especially when all we usually heard about was Harry and Ron.”

“Thank you, mom. Yeah, we are quite close and have been close for a number of years. It’s been nice.” Somehow she was able to limit the blushing to only a little bit of color to her cheeks. She wished she knew how she was able to do that as that would be a useful skill to know.

“So Harry’s party is this afternoon?” asked her father.

“Yes. I already have his present wrapped and everything. We can head over there at most anytime, as I am sure the Weasley’s would be happy to meet you. I am sure Mr. Weasley will talk your ear off about all sorts of things. He is muggle obsessed. Also, you don’t have to give Harry anything as a gift, as he will be happy with you just being there. That will be gift enough in his mind. He’s like that.” said Hermione.

“In all honesty, I haven’t the foggiest idea what to give him anyway. What do you get a wizard who can conjure things out of thin air?” Her father chuckled as he said that, shaking his head.

Hermione rolled her eyes. Why were her parents always like this? She knew they understood about magic and how it really worked. She had explained it to them. “If you really wanted to get him something then most anything would be appreciated. He is still not really used to presents thanks to his terrible upbringing. The Dursleys, his Aunt’s family, were terrible people and never gave him anything for either his birthday or Christmas so Harry is a bit… quirky because of that.”

“So I can buy him a tin of biscuits and he will be fine with that?” asked her dad a bit incredulously, clearly not believing what he was hearing.

“Yes. Or chocolate. He will be quite thankful if you give him either, pleased by the gesture. And chocolate, that is actually a useful thing to have in the magical world for various reasons but don’t ask. But yes, something like that would be grand and he would be very touched you even thought of him.” said Hermione, a bit sad that that was the unvarnished truth. Times like these, when she thought of what that plainly meant, she really did want to find the Dursleys and hex them until she ran out of spell combinations that would not clash. She was well aware that it would take a while.

“Alright, that sounds easy enough then. I guess I will run down to Tesco and pick him up something then. That is an interesting question… what kind of chocolate do you get for someone who stops a magical terrorist?” Her father got up, grabbed his keys and wallet and headed towards the garage. Before he left he called out, “Did either of you need anything while I’m there?”

Hermione thought about it and shook her head, “No thank you. I think I have everything I need at the moment.”

Her mother called out, “We’re good.”

“Right. Be back soon. Bye Love.” Her father left and Hermione just shook her head. Sometimes her father was just too much to deal with. What was with that question? Honestly.

She went to her room and got out her list of school supplies for the coming year. Usually by now she would have already purchased the books and be partially through the first or maybe even the second read through, depending on thickness of the texts. But this year she was actually not as interested in getting a jump on her classes as she usually was. There was simply too much other stuff going on in her life to completely focus on this. Going to get her supplies while Ginny was here might be a good plan, so she could do at least one serious read through before classes, but she saw no reason to go overboard like she usually did. She was well aware of the fact that she had higher grades than anyone in school by a very wide margin and that it would take something major to keep her from passing her NEWTS with all Os. She was looking to take the same ten classes she had when she had done her OWLs and in all honesty expected to get an O this time in Defense against the Dark Arts, because she had gotten a lot better at the subject in the last year. Fighting for your life tended to do that and the time working with Harry had really expanded her knowledge of the subject.

She shook her head to clear it of thoughts of the war and tried to think of happier things, like the fact that she was going to be seeing Harry and Luna today as well as Bill and Fleur. And she was going to be seeing Ginny. That was going to be wonderful. She did not know who else had been invited to the party but it was sure to be a lot of fun, as parties held at the Burrow usually were. At the very least it would take Harry’s mind off his troubles for a while. And so long as George was not bringing fireworks to this event everything should be just fine. Even with calming draughts and the like the sounds of explosions and the bright flashes might just be pushing things a little bit too far. She wasn’t even sure she could deal with those right now.

She took care as she changed for the party as she really wanted to look nice. She tried to convince herself that it was for Harry but she was well aware that the real reason that she was doing this was that she wanted to look pretty for Ginny, even though they had nothing going on with each other. This whole situation was making her crazy. However, if she wanted to wait just a little longer to tell the girl, then she had to put up with things like this, times where she was making herself crazy for no other particular reason save her own crazy logic in waiting for the time to be ‘right’.

Checking her makeup in the mirror one last time and making sure her earrings looked good, Hermione finished up and grabbed the present she had gotten Harry. Despite not knowing what Harry was going to do in the future she was absolutely positive that he was going to keep flying, as she could not imagine Harry without him flying, so she had gotten him some new flying gloves, new goggles that had been charmed to deal with inclement weather and had bought him a book on Flying Tours of Europe. She really hoped he liked it all as it was all friendly and fun.

Grabbing the present and slipping it into her beaded bag, Hermione headed downstairs to wait for her parents. She wanted to read one of her new books, to get a better grasp on things but since she had not come out to her parents yet it could prove to be awkward if they saw the titles, so she was going over one of her advanced Arithomancy books she had picked up two years ago instead and hadn’t finished yet. She lost herself to the text and then there was a bright flash. She started in surprise and looked up, her hand moving towards her wand.

Her mother grinned down at her holding a wizard camera, overly pleased with herself.

“Where did you get that?” asked Hermione, stunned to see her mother holding a wizarding object so comfortably.

“That would be Ginny. She got it for us and told us to take pictures of you studying or thinking. She told us she wants to make a book about all your thinking faces for educational purposes apparently.” Her mother was grinning broadly. “I thought it was a wonderful idea and showed her some of the pictures of you as a baby with thinky looks. She made lots of appreciative noises and asked for copies to go in her book. She already has a pretty good collection going at this point. Apparently some boy named Colin had taken several?”

“Gah! I should never leave you two alone again.” grumbled Hermione, in some irritation. The showing of baby pictures and pictures of her as a little kid was not something she had wanted to subject anyone to. Even the idea of it embarrassed her, as she could just imagine what her mother had shown Ginny. Could she Oblivate the memory of those pictures out of Ginny’s head?

“It’s nice to have a close girlfriend. They can really make your life better and more fun. Anyway, your father is back from Tescos so we are all ready to go to this party. Your father bought Harry some Chocolate biscuits as well as a few bars of different types of Cadburry. I have it all wrapped up and presentable, so we are ready to go. Now we are just waiting for you.” Her mother turned away, looking slightly smug at having disarmed her daughter.

Hermione blushed at her mother’s words and the color faded as things continued, moving away from the first statement. That had been all she had needed, was her mother putting that image into her head yet again. Now all that was running through her head was pictures of Ginny as her girlfriend. And this was after she had worked so hard already to clear her thoughts of those very same images that she was generating on her own as much as possible. It was going to make it so difficult to look at Ginny and not blush. She could just strangle her mother sometimes.

Hermione used her note paper to mark her place in the book and then stood, “So you remember what I told you both about apparating, hold on to me tightly and that this is going to feel very odd?”

“Yes, you were very clear on both of those points. As well as not to distract you at all while you were focusing.” said her father, handing over the present so Hermione could place it in her bag.

Once she had that securely in her bag, her parents took hold of her arms and Hermione focused for a moment before she side along apparated them to the Burrow. Her parents looked a bit shaken by the trip and she said sympathetically, “Yeah, I know, but you get used to it. Side along is actually worse than traveling by yourself actually, but you still feel like you were squeezed through a hose. And it was a long trip for the two of you. If you would rather we can Floo to the Leaky Cauldron and then take a taxi or bus back home.”

“Let us consider that for a while love.” said her mother, who looked a bit green and was clearly a bit wobbly on her feet. Her father did not seem to be much better himself. “That was… unpleasant.”

Mrs. Weasley saw the trio and headed over, smiling happily. “Hermione, so good to see you again. You look lovely as always. And these must be your parents.”

“Yes. Molly Weasley, allow me to introduce my parents, Martin and Patricia Granger.” Hermione made the introductions and then stayed out of the way, unsure what Molly would do as a greeting.

Molly happily shook their hands, clearly unsure if more was warranted. “It is a pleasure to meet you both. Your daughter is simply wonderful and has been a pleasure every time she has stayed over. She has almost been like a second daughter to me. Come on in and I will introduce you to everyone.”

As her parents were efficiently bustled off by the matron of the house, Hermione just stood there, with a slight contented smile on her face. This was nice. Her parents interacting with the Weasleys, both of her families, muggle and magical, together, it was like her worlds were actually coming together for a change. For so many years she had wished this could have occurred but with Voldemort running around it was actually far too dangerous for that to happen. No, it was better now, when it was safe. She just stood there and smiled after them, happiness growing in her heart.

A pair of slender but slightly rough hands covered her eyes and a warm and familiar voice said, “Guess who?”

As her smile turned into a grin and she felt playful, Hermione answered, “Hagrid, is that you?”

“Oi, I am not as big as Hagrid!” groused Ginny, shoving her shoulder playfully.

“I’m sorry Ginny, it was the calluses on your hands that threw me.” She batted her eyes a few times at the girl after she turned to face the redhead.

Ginny rolled her eyes and shook her head, her red mane tossing back and forth. She tried to look a bit stern but the smile that kept breaking through was ruining it, “A likely story, Miss Granger.”

Hermione laughed. Ginny then ran her eyes over her, taking in whole outfit and shoes, down and up, taking her time, finally saying, “You look quite nice.”

“Thank you. You look good as well. I have to admit that you always did clean up well.” Ginny was dressed nicely as well, somewhat similarly to Hermione, in terms of a nice skirt and blouse that was appropriate to the level of fancy that Harry would be okay with. She was even wearing a little bit of makeup and jewelry. Hermione thought she looked absolutely beautiful, that her face glowed with health and happiness but knew she really couldn’t say anything like that.

“Come on. Mum has the tent set up in back, so that’s fun. She has invited so many people to this that it is almost larger than the wedding because nobody said no. The woman is absolutely barmy I tell you. I do hope Harry has a good time though.” said Ginny as she pulled Hermione around the house towards the backyard. The worry was clear in her voice there at the end.

“He hasn’t arrived yet?” Hermione was actually surprised to hear that. Harry was usually early for things at the Burrow, if for no other reason than he was staying here. He loved it at this crazy house and would never willingly miss anything that happened here. She hoped it was not a bad sign. Maybe it was taking him a little longer to get himself ready to face a crowd than before. He had always had problems before and things had only made that worse.

“No, he flooed to say he would be a little late but not to worry about him. He is also apparently bringing someone.” There was a little bit of bitterness and regret in her tone.

Hermione looked at her wryly, not letting the girl squirm out of this one. “I thought you said you were over Harry?”

“Well that was before I thought he was bringing some tart with him to the party.” grumbled Ginny, blushing a little and looking at the ground. It was clear that she was not pleased by her own reaction to this news.

Hermione laughed lightly. This really was very funny. Granted it was because she knew things that her friend did not but regardless this reaction was beautiful. “She’s not a tart Ginny, not even remotely, though I may have to tell her you said that. It’s Luna.”

“Luna?” Ginny sounded quite confused, like the words and the meanings did not quite connect.

“Yes, Luna. She has been talking with Harry and helping him deal with things, just like she had helped me deal with some of the stuff I dealt with. They might be getting closer because of that, but remember that they were also somewhat close his sixth year after Sirius passed away. So this isn’t really something new and out of the blue.” explained Hermione, with a smile, quite amused with this display of jealousy from someone supposedly over that relationship.

The blush was lovely and Hermione really enjoyed it. She would love telling Harry about this. This was something he would get a nice chuckle out of, and not because it was mean but because of the continuous misunderstandings that seemed to fill his life. “Oh… well… that makes sense then. Thank you for telling me this now. I would have hated to have made a scene and possibly upset Harry over something so silly. He really does not need or deserve that. I figure this might be tough enough as is for him. If he’s happy then I am happy for him.”

Once in the backyard, it was clear that the tent from the wedding was back up, with a few tables under it to make one very large dining table, almost as long as one of the House tables in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. There were a lot of different kinds of chairs around them, with only some of them matching and the place settings didn’t quite match either. It looked absolutely chaotic. Hermione was quite positive that Harry would love it. This was the kind of thing that would say home and family to him.

Most of the Weasley family was already back there along with a large portion of the staff of Hogwarts, and most of the survivors of the battle who had been in the DA. It had been a while since they had seen each other and there was a lot of catching up to do. Hermione lost herself in conversation with a number of people for a while but kept finding herself searching out Ginny with her eyes, or that Ginny would come and see if she needed another drink. She would even just come over and let Hermione know how her parents were doing talking with her teachers so she could be sufficiently mortified. Hermione thought it was nice and it allowed her to slip quite easily into the fantasy that her mother had brought up with her earlier. Everything felt so comfortable and so natural; she just wanted to believe that it was all real, all true. If only wanting and wishing made it so.

“Are you okay?”

“What? Oh sorry Susan, I guess I was daydreaming a bit.” said Hermione with a slight blush as the young woman’s voice broke her fantasy. She smiled at the girl who had gotten stronger and healthier through her training in the DA, though she also seemed weighted down by the last year like many of their other friends.

“That’s okay. I think you’re allowed.” replied Susan with a knowing grin.

There was something in Susan’s tone and look that caught Hermione’s attention and once caught refused to be let loose until it was tracked down. That looked seemed to imply something and as she knew that nothing was going on she needed to find out what it was, because that was not a look of conjecture. Hermione cocked her head to the side and asked, “What do you mean?”

“You know, things with you and Ron. He has been saying how things between you two have been getting better and better and that you might even be off the market soon if it keeps progressing. That’s really exciting.” Susan seemed quite pleased for her.

Hermione had made the mistake of drinking something at the moment and it sprayed out everywhere, but thankfully it did not hit Susan or anyone else. She looked at Susan wide eyed, disbelief quite obvious, “WHAT!”

“Did… did I misunderstand?” Susan backed up some, looking around nervously for backup, as she was well aware of how dangerous a riled up Hermione Granger could be. This was not a safe position to be in.

“No. No, I don’t think you misunderstood what you heard at all. I think it was clearly someone else who has misunderstood things. If you will excuse me, Susan.” Her voice was cold and measured, in very precise clipped tones that sheared off the ends of words. Susan quickly nodded and stepped back and out of the way all but fleeing the scene.

The very angry young woman turned in place, her brown eyes narrowed as she was scanning the tent, scanning it for one particular set of red hair that she knew very well. Once she spotted it she locked on and began heading that way by the most direct route possible. Other people noticed her movement and quickly scrambled from her path, quite unwilling to get involved in this imminent disaster. Ron was currently involved in a conversation with Seamus and Dean, blissfully ignorant of his doom and the two boys went wide eyed and began backing up as Hermione stormed over, clearly knowing better than to stay.

Ron turned, somewhat confused by their actions, and his eyes widened, seeing Hermione heading right towards him just like she had moved towards Malfoy before she had punched him in the face. He swallowed hard wondering just how much this was going to hurt. He just knew this was not going to be pretty.

“Ronald Bilius Weasley, what in the hell are you telling other people about us!” All other conversation under the tent stopped at this point and every eye was focused on those two. There was no mistaking that tone for anything but what it was.

“I… uh… well… you see…” stammered Ron, his eyes cutting back and forth, searching for an avenue of escape. It was clear that he did not want to be involved in this particular conversation at the moment. There did not seem to be an available escape route that could get him far enough fast enough to avoid any spell from the girl.

“I told you explicitly that I did not want you pushing things between us and that I was not going to start up anything relationship wise at that time, but oh no, you just had to start telling people that I would be off the market soon!” Hermione’s anger was building even more rapidly than normal and all of her frustration with Ron over the years was starting to feed into it. Her hands were clenched and they were trembling as she gesticulated wildly.

“I… uh, well Hermione, you see… I kind of thought that…” Ron tried to say something, anything that might have a chance of heading this off. She cut him off at the knees.

“Thought? Thought? Why do I really doubt that? No, I know what you were doing Ron Weasley. You were doing what you always do. What everyone always does to me. You were trying to use other people’s opinions and thoughts to get me to agree to go out with you when I wasn’t sure I wanted to, you insufferable prat! You were trying to dictate my bloody life, to make it into what you wanted! Didn’t you think I have had enough of people doing exactly to me that when Bellatrix fucking Lestrange carved mudblood into my arm!” She screamed that last bit so loud that it hurt her throat. Everything in her wanted to punch him, kick him, hex him, make him feel the pain and humiliation that she was feeling because of this stupid action of his. Why couldn’t he get this? Was it really that difficult to get?

Ron winced and turned his face away from her, unable to meet the blaze of anger in her eyes, hotter and stronger than he had ever seen directed towards him before. Hermione was unable to say anything else when she felt a familiar hand rest gently on her arm and she turned her face to meet warm brown eyes, full of compassion that froze the words that would never have been able to have been taken back in her throat. “Come on. It’s not worth it. You don’t need to be here right now.”

Unable to fight against those eyes or that voice, Hermione relented and Ginny was able to turn her away from Ron. She led Hermione back through the silence and to the house, going up the short bit of stairs and then into her room. Ginny was still at the door when Hermione took a few steps into the room and fell onto the bed, sobbing. Once Ginny had the door closed and a few privacy spells cast, she sat down on the bed and began to stroke the older girl’s hair comfortingly. “I am sorry that my brother was clearly dropped on his head as a baby multiple times.”

Hermione choked on a laugh briefly between the sobs. She clutched Ginny and pulled herself closer to the girl, needing to feel the strength the youngest Weasley radiated. Dream or no dream, truth or not, she needed the girl right now like she needed air or water or food or she would never be able to breathe. “It’s okay, Hermione. He’s just an idiot. You’ve known that forever. So you know for sure then that you are not getting back together?”

Still choked with tears and unable to form words, Hermione just nodded in response, holding tightly to Ginny.

“Okay. That’s fine. But if you don’t mind my asking, how do you know?” asked Ginny, more curious than accusatory.

Hermione slowly rose up, her face red and blotchy from the tears, some of her make up runny and she looked Ginny right in the eyes. She hadn’t planned on telling her this today, hadn’t planned on telling her this for a while truth be told but there really was no better opening that she could think of to let her know. “Ginny, there is no way that I am going to get back together with your brother because… well… because I am attracted to girls.”

Tears kept streaming down her face, the salt burning some, and she was still shaking from muffled sobs, as her emotions were in turmoil. She had just shared part of her biggest secret with her best friend and the woman she loved, what was she going to do? How was Ginny going to react? Was this it for their friendship? Too many thoughts and worries were tumbling around in her brain and all she could do was cry for the pain and worry she already felt.

Ginny blinked a few times, as she was clearly trying to process this. She looked Hermione in the eyes and asked calmly, “Like you want to chat up girls and date them?”

Hermione sighed, this was not exactly going like she had wished and she wiped her face, “Yes Gin, just like that.”

“And do everything a couple does?”

“Yes Gin.”

“Even marry them?”

“Honestly Ginny is the idea really that difficult to understand?” Hermione was even more frustrated now than before and her emotions felt like they were going fifteen different places at once. She felt like she was going to burst. Her heart was beating like a trip hammer and she was both desperate to know and terrified of what Ginny might say.

“Well, no, not too much. I mean I kind of understood it in the abstract but I guess you are the first witch who likes witches that I have ever… you know… met.” said Ginny slowly, looking off into one of the corners of the room, towards one of the posters of the Holyhead Harpies, lost to her own thoughts.

“You might have met others, but they probably never let you know. But that is why I know I am never getting back together with Ron.” replied Hermione, a little calmer, seeing how seriously that Ginny was taking this. She was not mocking her nor denouncing her. Maybe things would work out.

“Have you told him any of this?” asked Ginny, looking at her with eyes wide, as if she just realized something.

“No, and I am not planning to either until he gets better with the whole we are not together thing. Otherwise who knows what he will think?” Hermione rolled her eyes in frustration. That was yet another complication in her already crazy life. She really did not need this.

Ginny leaned forward and took Hermione into her arms, hugging her close. “Thank you for sharing this with me. This doesn’t change anything. You are still my best friend and that will never change. I hope you know that?”

There was a soft sigh of relief and Hermione said, “I do.”

“So… are you interested in someone?” probed Ginny, her tone a bit more curious than before. Again she was looking out the window.

Hermione blushed a little at the question. Why was everyone so interested in her currently non-existent dating life? “There are some dreams of someone, but nothing solid yet. I will let you know how it turns out though.”

“Okay. I just want you to be happy.” She could hear the sincerity in Ginny’s voice and it made her smile.

“Same here.”

“Well, it’s a good thing since I’m coming over tonight. I bet you with all of this that stupidity you are going to have a nightmare and you will need someone to hold you afterwards.”

Hermione chuckled softly, unable to argue with the younger girl’s assessment. “What would I do without you Ginny?”

“Probably suffer alone… a very sad fate. Now come on. Let’s get you cleaned up and head back outside. We can’t let that git ruin this party, okay?” said Ginny with a broad smile and a wink.

Hermione smiled back in return, her mood lifting. Maybe things weren’t as bad as she had thought.  “Okay.”

After some cold water, a few spells and a bit of makeup repair the two of them headed back downstairs towards the rest of the party. The fireplace fwooshed and out of the green flames stepped Harry and Luna. Harry only stumbled a few times before he caught himself. As those two stood there brushing soot off of their clothes, he grinned at the two girls standing there watching and said, “So, have I missed anything?”


	12. Chapter 12

Twelve

Hermione awoke slowly, coming to consciousness slowly, held comfortably in Ginny’s strong, slender arms and she sighed in contentment. Waking up like this was a good thing a something she cherished even if there were other reason for it. Last night’s nightmare had been one of the worse she had had in a while, almost a month, just like Ginny had predicted. It had started out like most of them had, back at Malfoy Manor, with a crazy woman screaming at her about stealing the sword from her vaults. The pain of the Cruciatus had been there, flaying her nerves anew several times over and she could still feel the slight echoes of things. Then after the psycho carved mudblood in her left arm, she continued on, carving the word dyke on her right, humming that damn tune the whole time. What was worse than the pain that she felt and her inability to escape, was the look of absolute pleasure on the madwoman’s face as she did these things. Bellatrix had then gleefully moved on to singing softly “Mudblood, mudblood, filthy filthy mudblood” as she carved the word whore on Hermione’s forehead, checking the spelling with the ‘smartest witch’. Hermione could feel the tip of the blade moving through her flesh and the burn of her skin splitting. She had woke screaming, fighting against Ginny’s embrace.

It had taken Ginny a while to calm her down enough to take one of her calming draughts and one of her treatment potions for the curse so she could go back to sleep. It had been horrific and disturbing and she had trembled like a leaf for quite a while. Ginny had just sat there calmly, holding Hermione comfortingly in her arms, whispering soothing words and brushing her fingers through Hermione’s sweat dampened hair. That had worked to calm her down and allowed Hermione eyes to grow heavy, letting her fall back to sleep, in the position she found herself in now. That was nice. She had to admit that at least it had not been the dream of her making love to Ginny that had awakened them as that one and the state she usually found herself in might be a bit more difficult to explain.

She shifted a little and made a happy sound. To be held in the arms of the girl she so desired, that right there was bliss. It made her feel deeply contented and this memory would certainly help fuel a very powerful patronus if she ever needed one. There was no doubt in her mind at all that she could stay like this all day. She sighed, if only that were possible. But no, at some point Ginny was going to wake up and this perfect fantasy she was enjoying would fade, but until then she was determined to simply enjoy it.

After a bit of enjoying this for a while she was drifting back to sleep with a slight smile on her face when Ginny shifted a little and began to make noises, tightening her grip some and pulling Hermione closer to her. “Mmmm morning ‘mione.”

“Morning Gin. Sleep well?” asked Hermione, her voice soft to avoid disturbing the mood.

Ginny chuckled slightly and Hermione liked how that moved both of their chests. The sensation was quite enjoyable. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

Hermione blushed at that and she was glad that Ginny could not see her face. It would be a lot harder to explain why she was all red over that comment than would normally be necessary. She was able to keep her embarrassment out of her voice. “Well, I slept a lot better after you calmed me down and helped me take the potions.”

“That’s good. You still slept a bit fitfully for a little bit afterwards but you did drift off to sleep after a while.” said Ginny, passing on that extra bit of information. “Apparently, running my fingers through your hair really helped.”

“You watched me sleep?” asked Hermione, startled by that one fact. It was sweet but also a bit surprising. That was not something she would have expected the girl to do.

“Well, I was worried about you. Waking up to you screaming and thrashing is still unnerving.” Ginny defended herself, sounding somewhat affronted.

“I am not saying anything bad about that Gin. On the contrary, thank you for looking out for me. It means a lot to me to know that you do that. I… you let me sleep safer this way. When you are here, I sleep better.” said Hermione softly, a bit embarrassed to admit that fact, feeling that it made her weak. While one part of her was loathe to admit it another part felt warm and supported by the presence of the girl. And then there was how she felt about Ginny adding to the mess.

“Well then, I guess we will have to see what we can do in order to make sure you can sleep soundly from now on.” Ginny tightened her grip again for one last hug before she got up and then headed off to the bathroom.

Hermione lay in the bed and rolled partially up, her eyes following the departing young woman. She blinked a few times trying to process the last bit of conversation. What had just happened? Had Ginny just said what she had just thought she had said? She rubbed her temples and wasn’t sure she was even awake for all of this. Was she still dreaming or had Ginny actually implied that she was going to keep sleeping with her, not that she minded? That idea sounded very appealing and she would never argue with being able to share a bed with the redhead. She could hear the toilet flush and that reminded her own bladder of its needs, driving her out of the still warm bed.

Once dressed and in the kitchen, Hermione saw that Ginny was busy helping her mother finish cooking breakfast. Knowing that there was not enough room in there to help with that, she quickly set the table and got the tea service ready, hoping to save them at least one step. Soon all four of them were sitting around the table enjoying a nice breakfast of egg in the hole and tea. Mr. Granger had some of his tea and then asked, “So what sort of excitement do you girls have planned for today?”

“I was thinking of going to Diagon Alley today to get some shopping done. I have had the wrong wand for too long now and I am tired of it. It just keeps reminding me of _Her_ verytime I use it. Ollivander has opened up his shop again and I can get a new wand from there easily enough. Might as well pick up some school supplies while I am there so I won’t have to rush about at the end of the month.” answered Hermione, a slight grin on her face.

Ginny grinned and nodded. “That sounds good to me. I can get some money from the vaults, as I have my key and I might even be able to get a new pair of gloves for Quidditch. Mine are seriously worn. I know Mum won’t mind as it will save her some work.”

“Oh, could you get me a book on the game? After listening to your description, I am interested on how it is played. It really does sound fascinating.” said Mr. Granger excitedly. Hermione knew her Dad liked all sorts of sports and the talk about Quidditch seemed to entrance him. He seemed to have become a fan without ever having seen a single game.

“Sure. I can think of several good books that explain the basics of the game and some of the tactics as well as the history. I’m surprised that Ron never told you about them Hermione, as he was never that keen on reading about the game, just watching and learning.” said Ginny, clearly happy to be of some help to Mr. Granger.

Hermione rolled her eyes. This was not a topic that she was a fan of as years of putting up with a lot of this nonsense. “Your brother prefers to blather on about Quidditch rather than actually let anyone learn about it in a useful manner.”

“Yeah, that’s Ron for you. You know… if you want, you could read those books as well, and actually get a better understanding for the game. Maybe try to learn something about the game without having the bias of having Ron’s obsession making things worse. Please… for me?” Ginny seemed excited by that prospect.

“I might do that. We’ll see.” Hermione gave Ginny a soft smile. It was so difficult for her to just flat out deny the girl anything. Was she really going to give Quidditch another chance just because Ginny asked her to? She was aware that it might be a good way to grow closer to her so maybe this might not be a bad idea. She really had it bad.

“Well, you girls be safe. Don’t do anything crazy.” said her mother.

Once the meal was over and the dishes were clear, the girls got ready to head into Diagon Alley to take care of their shopping. They grabbed up their stuff and Hermione disapparated them into the Leaky Cauldron. There were not a lot of people hanging out around there this early in the morning, which was nice and it was far enough from the start of the new school year that the stores should not be overly crowded. Glad that no one seemed to notice their appearance all that much the two of them moved into the little back courtyard of the pub and tapped the bricks, creating the entrance to the Alley proper.

Various people were shopping, including a few families out buying school supplies but only a few. The sight made the girls smile, happy to see that things were returning to normal after all of the insanity that had gone on over the last few years. The scars of war were still evident in a number of places but there were a few new stores in what were once burned out storefronts. Nothing had replaced Fortescue’s yet, but they were hoping. Instead of dwelling on this, they made a beeline straight for Olivander’s, not wanting to get distracted anywhere else before this primary task was completed, though a quick run through Flourish and Blots was mighty tempting.

The store seemed the same as it had before, somewhat dark with shelves filled with the long narrow boxes, with the same unique scent that both associated with the wand shop. It was a comforting scene and both girls relaxed ever so slightly because of it. That made them realize that they had been ready for attacks the whole time they had been walking here and it made them both sigh in annoyance. They walked to the counter trying to move past that lingering relic of war and from the back of the store a familiar face appeared, smiling happily when he saw who was there, “Ah, Miss Granger, I was wondering when I was going to see you again. I am glad to see you as well Miss Weasley.”

“Hello Mr. Olivander. I have been having a little trouble with this wand, as it isn’t mine and has not been responding quite right with my magic. I can still use it, but it takes a bit more more work and effort to do anything.” explained Hermione as she laid Bellatrix’s wand on the counter.

“Yes, walnut, twelve and three quarters inches with a dragon heartstring core, the wand of Bellatrix Lestrange. I can imagine that it did not work for you, as you did not win this wand and thus could not truly become its master.” He said with a slight twitch of his lips, almost a failed smile, pain still behind his eyes. “That you were able to make it work at all says a great deal about you.”

“Thank you. Well, that is why I am here. I absolutely need a new wand. No one has found my old one anywhere, neither in Malfoy Manor nor on any of the Death Eaters. That means that I need a new one as this one… the more I use it, the more I can’t really stand to look at it.” Hermione shuddered, closing her eyes, trying not to think about the nightmare she had had just last night which had featured this self-same wand cursing her over and over. Ginny reached out and rested an arm comfortingly on her shoulder, helping to settle her growing nerves. She turned her head and smiled at Ginny thankfully.

“That is a wise choice Miss Granger, very wise indeed. A witch cannot do their best work with an improper wand or a wand that might fight against them. Well, let of correct this problem. Shall we get to work?” He went in back and brought out a box. He opened it and carefully laid the wand down in front of her. “Vine, ten and a quarter inches, dragon heartstring. It is the closest I have to your old wand.”

She picked it up and gave it a flick but it did not quite work right. The reaction was okay but not that great as she could feel her magic not quite meshing with the wand. She frowned and shook her head, setting the wand down but off to the side. “I guess if we can’t find anything better we can go with this, as it works a lot better than the wand I have now, but can we keep looking?”

With a nod and a smile he turned and went back into his stacks, muttering to himself as he usually did when he was searching for wands. He came back a short while later with another box, “Alder, ten and a half inches, dragon heartstring.”

That one was better but still not quite right. It got put to the side and the other one boxed up.

“Cyprus, nine and seven eighths, dragon heartstring.”

It was only okay but the Alder had been better. Back in the box.

“Hazel, eleven and a quarter, dragon heartstring.”

She barely picked this one up before a mug of tea across the room exploded. The girls eeped and Hermione quickly set the wand down. She was blushing in embarrassment. This prompted Ginny to start giggling earning her a quick elbow in her side to shush her.

Mr. Olivander looked thoughtful and then nodded, clearly making a determination. “It was as I thought. Just a moment.”

He turned and headed deeper into his shop, lost amongst the stacks, deeper than he had gone before. He returned with a dust free box, held carefully in both hands. It was held gently, as if the wand inside were delicate or something, making both girls look at each other questioningly. Mr. Olivander twitched a slight smile at them before he hesitantly said, “I was unsure if this would be appropriate and so I wanted to see if anything else would suit before trying this particular wand.”

“If what would?” Hermione was looking from the box to Mr. Olivander in deepening confusion. What exactly was going on?

“After you and your friends rescued me and I learned of what had happened to you, learning in addition to everything else you had lost your wand, I realized that you would indeed need a new one, no matter what wand you had picked up to use in the interim. Knowing this, I undertook the challenge of making a wand that would suit one as brave and as fearless as you.” He lay the box down and pulled the cover off. The pale wood was almost lustrous, richly hued, the way it had been treated almost made the wood glow. There was nothing fancy about the wand, no carved vines like her last wand, just an elegant simplicity that was attractive with this wood, making it even more beautiful than her last one had been with its simple form. “This is an eleven inch, beech wood wand with a dragon heartstring taken from a Chinese Fireball, the cleverest of all the dragons. This is a wand that will be nearly impossible to find a master and the only person that I believe who can fit this particular wand, Miss Granger, is you. Please.”

Hermione and Ginny shared a wide eyed look and Hermione reached out her hand to lift the wand from the box, trying to control the slight tremor as she did so. The idea that he had made a wand for her was overwhelming. Her hand closed on the smooth wood and she slid the wand into place. The wand felt warm in her hand, sitting in the crease of her palm as if it had no other purpose in life. As she had done with the others, she gave it a slight swish and a golden glow emanated from it surrounding her hand, tingling her skin. Hermione just stared at the wand in surprise, feeling a very different connection to this wand than she had had with her other. Her mouth went dry in shock.

Mr. Olivander let out the breath he had been holding. “Wonderful. I am so glad that the wand chose you. I was very worried that it might not. You should know that Beech is a very choosy wood Miss Granger. Many witches and wizards who demand beech wands are often found wanting. This wand will allow you a range of subtlety and artistry that is rarely seen in any other wood. It is a powerful wand Miss Granger for a singularly powerful witch.”

“How… how much do I owe you?” Hermione was rather in awe of her new wand, as even her old wand had not quite felt like this one, so perfectly aligned with her. She could not take her eyes off it, just staring at the near luminous wood. This felt like an extension of herself and it was a strange feeling.

“You and your friends gave me my life, which is a debt that I will never be able to repay. The wand is yours.” He said simply.

“Mr. Olivander, no.” protested Hermione, finally able to look away from the wand due to how wrong that felt.

“My dear Miss Granger, think of all you have endured and striven against for the greater good of the wizarding world. The least this one old man can do is give you a new wand in thanks for saving his life. You cannot begrudge me that.” The look in his eyes made it clear that he would brook no argument from her. It was clear that it would be easier getting Molly Weasley to change her mind than to make Mr. Olivander let her pay.

Hermione swallowed heavily, happy tears wetting her eyes. She smiled, trying to hold in the torrent of emotion that this gesture was bringing up. “No, I cannot. Thank you very much, Mr. Olivander. I will cherish this wand always.”

He smiled at her, clearly understanding something of what she was going through. “I know you shall Miss Granger and I shall cherish the fact that you have one of the finest wands I have ever created to help you accomplish whatever you strive for. Thank you. Good day to you both.”

Leaving Bellatrix’s wand there, Ginny and Hermione walked out of his shop and stood on the street a moment, both of them rather dazed. Ginny turned to Hermione and asked, “Did that really happen?”

Hermione pulled out her beech wand and stared at it, blinked a few times and put it back. She nodded absently and replied, “I guess it did.”

The two girls then smiled at each other, each pleased with this particular development. Hermione started grinning as she realized that one more reminder of Bellatrix was gone from her life and that was a tremendous relief. Ginny looked around and said, “Right, well after something like that you need something completely different to help you cope.”

Hermione looked at her a bit nervously trying to figure out exactly what the young woman was talking about. There were several different options that came immediately to mind, and she was sure that Ginny was not thinking about half of them and maybe an eighth of them might actually get her slapped. She decided to hazard a question, “What are you thinking about Ginevra?”

Ginny looked innocent, blinked her brown eyes a few times and said in a voice that wouldn’t melt butter, “I only wanted to go to the Quidditch store ‘mione. Is that so wrong?”

Hermione rolled her eyes, groaning. She should have known. She smacked Ginny on the arm lightly, “Prat.”

Ginny started giggling and dragged Hermione along with her to the Quality Quidditch Supplies store. Hermione struggled at first and then gave in knowing that resistance was futile. She had always resisted the idea of going into the store with either Ron or Harry for various reasons, not the least of which was her lack of interest in the game, but because she was interested in Ginny she was willing to see if the experience was going to be different. She really hoped so for her own sanity that it would be. If not then maybe this whole attraction would die out before it really got started.

Before they walked inside the store, Ginny turned to her and said, “I know you have never really been into Quidditch but I have also met Harry and Ron. I love those two plonkers to death but they are basically imbeciles when it comes to certain things. So I will try to help fix this problem. I have seen you cheer, so clearly you are excited for our team and your friends when we are winning, but from everything I have heard you say the sport itself eludes you.”

“Well, all sport does really. My father loves football and rugby and even cricket for some reason but I have no idea why? I just don’t get the appeal.” At Ginny’s blank look, Hermione smiled and said, “They are all muggle sports that are really popular. Honestly, you would probably enjoy them.”

“Right. Okay. If you think so I’ll trust you. So, when we get in there don’t think about how irritating Ron is on this subject or how obnoxious the colors are for the Chudley Canons are or any of that, just listen to me and we’ll see if things won’t change for you.” Ginny gave her a very confident smile.

Hermione looked at her and one eyebrow rose. The redhead seemed so sure of herself and her plan that this was clearly not a spur of the moment idea. This smelled remarkably like a plot that had been developed for a while to her. “Ginny… answer me honestly. How long have you had this idea?”

Ginny couldn’t meet her eyes as she replied, “A while now, but an opportunity never really presented itself before. Now it has so come on. Trust me.”

Hermione relented and the two girls headed inside. Once in the store, the youngest Weasley led her past the brooms, quaffles, bludgers, and various other bits of equipment, branded team gear and into the back where there were books and magazines for sale. Once there, where there were only a few people looking at recent issues of Seeker Weekly and a few of the books, she stopped and turned to face her friend. “Right, first thing you need to know is that Quidditch as it is known today came out of several older games being jumbled together, but the first instance of it being played in something even remotely familiar to today’s game was recorded in 1050 in Queerditch Marsh by a witch named Gertie Keddle. This woman kept recording the early development of the game and her diary remains to this day. You can actually go and see it.”

“Really?” Hermione perked up at this. This was actually rather interesting, knowing that there was some actual historical data on the growth of the game. Why hadn’t the boys told her about this? This was actually interesting

“Oh yes. It is really interesting reading about all of this. The next instance outside of those journals is from 1150 when a wizard named Goodwin Keen sent a letter to a friend of his where he described the recent developments of the game. There are a number of other historical mentions of the game as it grew that are quite fascinating. It’s history is really quite complex.”

“So wait, the game of Quidditch is almost as old as Hogwarts?” Hermione was almost doubtful of that notion but when had Ginny really lied to her about something like this? She had thought that the game was as modern as most every other sport around, as in perhaps a few hundred years at the most, not a game with nearly a thousand years of history behind it. Why had no one told her? Her eyes started scanning the bookshelves for some sort of reference.

Ginny snickered when she saw this and walked over to the shelf plucking a book up and handing it over, clearly having expected this response. “Now I know that this isn’t quite Quidditch: A History but it is close. This right here is the best book on the history of the game available.”

Hermione took the book and mock glared at the red head that regarded her with some amusement. Quidditch Through the Ages seemed to be quite interesting given its table of contents and did have some heft to it. It was clearly not a book without meaning. “So this is the book that Madam Pince says is checked out all the time?”

“Yep. This book covers the history of the game, the development of the rules, the spread of the game, the current incarnation, everything. It’s a great book. I’ve read it several times myself. Not as often as you’ve read Hogwarts: A History, but then again who has read anything that much?” Ginny grinned at her, enjoying the teasing.

Hermione rolled her eyes and then looked at the book some more. It looked rather fascinating actually. She skimmed part of the introduction and the writing style was somewhat engaging. This might be a really nice read. “Interesting.”

“If I had to recommend just one book for you to get started with, it would be that one. Because instead of being all, oh Quidditch is awesome, and all that nonsense it actually talks about things in the way you like and understand. It really takes the time to explain everything in great detail. This is a far more scholarly work than any of the others.” Ginny smiled at her and Hermione blushed a little, looking down at the book. It seemed like Ginny really did know her pretty well.

In an attempt to cover up her blush, she asked, “Do you recommend anything else for me to read?”

“Well I am a bit partial but I would also recommend this book about the Holyhead Harpies, my favorite team. They have been around since 1203, making them the second oldest team in the league and have been an all-female team the whole time, which is pretty rare. It is a pretty interesting read as well, as it doesn’t just focus on recent players but covers the whole range of the team’s accomplishments from the past until now.”

“Well Ginny, I must say that I am aware of your… obsession with the Harpies. It is hard not to notice your posters, and shirts and scarf and night shirt. I’m surprised you don’t have Harpies knickers.”

“Alright.” Ginny blushed as Hermione listed things off, counting them off on her fingers. “I like the team. Being the only girl in my family they gave me some strong women to look up to besides my mother.”

Without really needing to spend much thought on the matter, Hermione grabbed that book as well. If that team meant that much to Ginny, then she really needed to learn about them. It was important. Everything her parents had taught her about relationships had taught her that. “Anything else you recommend?”

“No, not at the moment. Those two will be a great start and we can see where you are after those. I just had a few things to grab for myself and then we can get our books. After that we can grab some lunch before getting the rest of our stuff.”

“Sounds like a good plan to me.” Hermione went up front to pay for her books, having grabbed a second copy of Quidditch Through the Ages for her father. She was well aware that she was going to be studying both of these books to get a better idea about this passion of Ginny’s. The relationship books had mentioned that it was a good idea to at least understand your partners passions, whether you liked them or not, and she knew her mother knew a good bit about her father’s favorite teams and the basics of each of the sports. Once she paid for her items, she waited for Ginny to come up and make her own purchases. Once that was accomplished, then the two of them headed up the street to Flourish and Blotts.

Once they walked into the store, Hermione took a deep breath through her nose. It was something that satisfied her and made her feel content, the wonderful smell of books. She sighed happily and ignored Ginny’s snicker. “So I guess we should just grab our school books?”

“Yes and not too many extra books Miss Granger. You might actually be busy this year.” Ginny shook her finger at her.

“Am I really that bad?” asked Hermione, slightly worried. She still had a little bit of a lingering fear of being only a bookworm hanging out in her head.

“Not really. But you get this cute indignant look whenever anyone says anything about it.” teased Ginny.

Hermione scowled at Ginny and the girl laughed happily and pointed at her, quite pleased by the reaction, “Yes, that’s it. That’s the one. Right there.”

“I don’t know why I put up with you?” grumbled Hermione, somewhat incensed by the slight mocking. She knew it wasn’t mean spirited but it was hitting a sore spot.

“Because you like me better than Ron?” answered Ginny in a playful singsong sort of voice.

“Well clearly, but that doesn’t actually answer the question.” teased Hermione right back.

“Ouch. I think I will try to save my dignity and just go get books.” Ginny limped off as if she were trying to salvage her dignity.

Hermione laughed and headed off into the stacks, browsing the familiar shelves, letting her fingers drift over the spines, loving the feel of the books. It had been a while since she had been here and she had missed it. This store smelled more of books than modern bookshops usually did and she could easily think of several reasons for that, most prominent of which was paper type. She started collecting her school books as well as scanning the shelves for any titles that might catch her eyes as was her usual habit. After a while and when she was near the back of the store, with several books in addition to her text books, including one on charms, another on arithomancy and a third on advanced magical theory, she saw a title that seemed odd enough to give her pause, A Witch’s Witch Book of Spells.

The book was of decent size, being at least several hundred pages in length. And the title was innocuous enough that she could play it off as her not having checked on the contents and merely found the title interesting if she had to. It also had that term that Ginny had used that magicals seemed to use to describe lesbians. She flipped through the table of contents quickly and it seemed to be what she had been hoping for, a wizarding book on lesbian relationships and spells relating to them, some of which sounded fascinating. Hermione sighed, said a quick prayer to whoever would listen to her, put it in her stack and headed towards the front.

She was rung up quickly, as there was a line growing behind her, and so the person barely registered she was there, let alone the book in question, as they were far more focused of trying to complete the transaction quickly so they could get to the next customer. She held her breath the whole time, her heart pounding a mile a minute, expecting some sort of response to the book and desperately hoping that there would be none. When none came that made her happy and she was able to relax, breathing easier. Taking her things outside, she saw that Ginny was waiting for her. “Sheesh, ‘mione, did you buy the store?”

“No, I simply found a number of interesting titles and picked them up. When I noticed the time I just grabbed the last book that caught my eye and bought it. If I don’t like it I can always return it.” stated Hermione, trying to make a point.

“You return a book? Why do I doubt that? Somehow I think you might be physically incapable of that.” Ginny rolled her eyes at the bushy haired witch.

Hermione harrumphed and said, “Let’s go eat.”

“That sounds like a good plan. I could do with some food. And then we can finish this and head back to your place.” Ginny headed towards the Leaky Cauldron where they knew they could grab a decent bite to eat.

“I know what you’re thinking; you just want to see Romeo+Juliet again.” The taunt was playful and friendly.

“Actually I was going to wait on that for a few more days. There are a couple of other things that had come out apparently that your mom said were good and you said there are some good films out there now so…”

Hermione laughed, shaking her head, “Oh Merlin Ginny, what am I going to do with you?”


	13. Chapter 13

Thirteen

“You know… when we get back to school we’re going to have to work on your flying.” said Ginny thoughtfully, as they were walking towards Harrods, thankfully in a crowd free space.

Hermione frowned, clearly not pleased with this particular plan. She knew that Ginny was aware of her issues with flying and that she hadn’t really done any on brooms since first year. She was just too scared to even try. “Is that really a good idea?”

“Oh absolutely. I think part of the problem you were having is that the school ones are terrible and you need something better, something designed for someone not into sports. There are a number of those out there for people who want to buy them. Remember the one that Mad Eye had?” asked Ginny, turning to face her and walking backwards, trying to talk around anything that could get her in trouble for breaking the State Statute of Secrets.

“The recumbent? Yes I do. I must admit that it was an interesting design.” said Hermione, having to concede that particular point. That one had looked a good bit more stable than the others and certainly more comfortable since it had an actual seat.

“Well, just so you know, there are a lot of designs out there made for all levels of flyers. What you need is something designed more for your degree of skill and comfort, but also for your intention. For me it is all about the speed and handling, so I need something high end, considering I have hopes of becoming a professional athelete. However that is not even remotely what you should be looking for as something like that would be more problem than help. What I think you need something stable and comfortable and not too fast, basically something that is good for touring.” said Ginny with a big grin as she finished up.

With a bit of a laugh Hermione shook her head in disbelief and said, “Despite the fact that I will probably say no, you really have put some thought into this haven’t you.”

“I have. And I figured that all you need is the right kind of… tool for this and the right reason to fly and you should be right as rain. With some practice you will be just great at it, like you are with everything else.” Ginny seemed supremely confident as she spoke, almost as if she knew something that Hermione did not, which was a bit unnerving.

“And what reason is that, pray tell?” asked Hermione, wondering what Ginny was going to answer with. She had to admit to a degree of curiosity as to what the answer would be.

Ginny grinned at her, clearly sensing victory. “The view. The school looks absolutely amazing from up there, in ways you just can’t describe. I know you haven’t been able to fly up there to take a look for yourself for a number of reasons and so you have never seen it from that particular vantage point but I want to make that happen for you this year. It will really give you a lay of the land that being on the ground just can’t and a better appreciation for the scope of the school. Think of it as a great way to supplement Hogwarts: A History.”

“So I take it from the way you are talking that you have some ideas on how to get me to do this then?” Hermione asked, making sure they were still isolated enough to continue this conversation since it seemed to be drifting towards topics that would be more difficult to talk around.

“Oh yes. There are a number of good traveling uhm… planes out there that I think are more your speed. I think that might have been a better place for you to start with instead of just dumping you on one of those old bollocksed up Cleansweeps that were nearly shot. That was part of the problem. I know I am good at flying and I had a few problems with those things. Now I think Madam Hooch has one or two available of the things I was talking about that I might be able to borrow so I can show you what I mean. I am almost positive that it might really change your perception of flying.” Ginny was clearly passionate about this idea. The more that Hermione thought about it the more she was willing to give it a try. Honestly, it was hard for her to deny Ginny much of anything, including doing something that scared her. But this?

“So that is what you have planned for us when we get back to Hogwarts?” asked Hermione, trying to steer the conversation away from her hovering over the ground on a tiny piece of wood. She was having enough ideas with her degree of acceptance now. If she thought more about it there would be no way she would be able to do it.

“One of the things. I think we need to make sure that we find a way to balance the stress of studying for our NEWTS and your work as Head Girl and my work as Captain to make sure we can manage to have fun and can relax as well. We might have to schedule that in there so we can ensure we do things that are not related to either or else I think it will drive us mad. I would really like to make it out of there with some sanity left.” stated Ginny, thoughtfully.

Hermione nodded. She had been thinking along those lines herself. It was not a bad idea and certainly had merit. And if there was anybody who would be able to get her to have fun and relax it would be Ginny. Ron had been good at that but with his propensity for getting into arguments with her relaxation had often turned into spats. Ginny at least had that going for her as the two of them did not fight all that much. “That is an excellent point. You know… there are a few ideas I have to help with our stress relief but they aren’t very Head Girl like. Did I mention that I was given a bequest from Professor Lupin?”

“No. What did you get?” Ginny was a bit wide eyed at this news, quite surprised to hear of this. She knew that the Trio had greatly had respected Professor Lupin and she had known that he had been a good teacher as well. She just couldn’t figure out why that alone would be a good enough reason for him to leave Hermione something.

“Well, because of a number of different factors, he left me his school journals.” Hermione gave her a subtle smile, knowing that in this case it would make her a bit crazy.

“Okay…” Ginny did not sound very impressed so far. There had to be something else to this but it was clear that nothing was registering.

“You are aware that he was one of the Marauders, right? That group that designed the Map that Harry used all the time to get around the school without getting caught? Fred and George used it for the same reason as well. Well, these particular school journals have his notes of their pranks, spells, ideas, everything. And I have them, as well as a few other items he included in there.”

Ginny froze. Hermione took another two steps and then turned, aware that she no longer had a companion. She stared at Ginny who was just standing there staring at her in complete surprise. She took a step back toward the redhead somewhat concerned, “Gin?”

“Professor Lupin was one of the Marauders? One of the guys Fred and George worship as pranking gods?” asked Ginny in a halting voice.

Hermione nodded slowly, her eyes focused on the redhead. “Yes, so were Sirius, and Harry’s father. Padfoot and Prongs respectively. Professor Lupin was Moony because of his furry little problem. Pettegrew was one as well, but that’s neither here nor there. So these journals give me the information about their various ideas and plans and I have to say it is fascinating reading. He really did take wonderful notes.”

Stepping forward, Hermione took hold of Ginny’s arm as the redhead looked a bit faint and swayed a little. Ginny looked at her almost as if she had never seen her before, “Wait… what are you saying? Are you, Hermione Granger, suggesting that we prank some people? You? The bloody Head Girl are wanting to do this? You?”

She shrugged and smiled. “Well, I figured that pulling a few pranks on the school and not specific individuals might be fun as long as they aren’t that mean. Even your brothers managed to pull some of those off and they were pretty funny and helped lighten the mood. And think about it Ginny, we will have information about how to do it from the only people better at pranking than the twins. If we got George to help we would be unstoppable.”

Ginny stared at her as if trying to see through a disguise and asked pointedly, “Who are you and what have you done with Hermione.”

With a bright laugh, Hermione raised her hands a little, as if surrendering, and said, “What? I think it might be fun. I am not saying we go crazy like the twins usually did and pull these things all the time, but if we pull a few, now and again it just might help with stress relief for us and maybe amuse the other students, and that’s in addition to whatever other devious plans you might have for stress relief.”

“I am completely in, as this is something I would have to see to believe and even then I might have my doubts. There is no way I would pass this up. Even George is not going to believe it without proof. Wow… really ‘mione? You really want to do this?” Ginny was incredulous.

Hermione just grinned cheekily and reached for one of the doors for Harrods, pulling it open as she said, “Oh yes Ginevra dear, now let’s go shopping and see if we can find anything that we like.”

They spent a few hours wandering around Harrods, looking in the various sections on the different floors, trying on clothes and generally having a good time. By the time they left the two of them were both a bit tired, Hermione more so than Ginny, and ready to head home. Sitting in the back of the bus with a number of seats between them and the next closest passengers so they couldn’t be easily overheard, Ginny leaned in to her friend and said, “Thank you for this summer. It has really been a lot of fun. I can’t remember the last time I have had this much fun. And the fact that there were so few chores helped out as well. You know, I have to admit that life as a muggle is actually pretty impressive.”

Hermione grinned, pleased to hear the statement, but raising one eyebrow. “Really now? Do tell.”

Ginny shoved Hermione with her body, snorting softly. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. I just mean that it isn’t what most wizards think. It isn’t anything like I thought it would be. I mean, there is just so much to do and see that it is incredible. The ways that muggles have found to do so much without magic and even the things that cannot be done with magic are amazing. I mean you showed me that people went and stood on the moon. The moon! That’s crazy. Who does that? Who thinks of that? The muggle world has so much stuff in it that is just so fabulous that I really wish there were a way that our two worlds could interact with each other in a way that wouldn’t cause absolute chaos. Think of all the good it could do for both sides.”

“I know. Merlin, Ginny I know. There is so much that I miss when I am at school but there is so much there that it kept me occupied. I would come home to try and keep up with my studies on the outside, in science and math and literature but it is so hard to do over the summer even with magic to help. And that isn’t even taking into account just wanting to see the movies or hear the music or just seeing things. Ron just never could understand why I wanted to spend time with my family in this world on holidays or any chance I got. Harry got it, but he was trying to avoid the Dursleys so that made perfect sense why he never wanted to go back. Ron never cared to listen or even to really try. He never got how much it really hurt me to Oblivate my parents.” Hermione sounded a bit glum about that. Even though she knew they were not meant to be together it was one of the sticking points in their friendship. This muggle/ magical divide was such a divisive issue in the wizarding world that it just made her crazy sometimes. In a lot of ways the magical world was wonderful and in a lot of ways it was completely backwards and there was no reason for it to be. It was really no wonder that a lot of the muggleborn did not choose stay in wizarding society in the long run, especially in the last fifty years or so. Why would they want to stay in such a backwards world despite how wonderful it could be? Why not go back to the world you knew and be careful?

“Well, just to let you know I will happily come with you to visit your parents anytime you want. They’re great and this is has been a lot of fun. There are so many things here that are just amazing, how could I not want to do this? I can see why my dad is so fascinated. And as for Ron… I think part of the whole not getting it thing is while family means as much to him, he couldn’t sacrifice it like that.” Ginny was looking out the window as she said that at the passing cars and lorries.

Hermione took that last piece about Ron thoughtfully, digesting it. It was a bit uncomfortable to think of and she really did not want to dwell on it right now. Anything else would be preferable to that. “Thanks Gin. I may take you up on that. Might even drag you with us on a trip over Christmas break. So are you excited about turning seventeen?”

“Yes. Getting the trace off me will be lovely and being able to apparate will be so completely worth it. I have practiced with George some with Mom’s permission of course. That has been fun, so I am ready for my test when I am allowed to take it. I really want to get my license so I can go wherever I want whenever I want. Being pretty much stuck at the Burrow all the time is not as much fun as you might think. Anyway, the party should be great fun as well, what with Mum’s planning and all. Probably not as big as Harry’s was and that’s okay.” said Ginny.

Hermione grinned and said, “Just so you know, you get your gift from me before I take you home. The night before actually.”

“Really? What is it?” Ginny bounced slightly in her seat, eyes wide and excited. It was a nice change from the girl grown up too soon because of the war. They had both relaxed and that was for the better in her opinion. This was just Ginny with too much energy and excitement and that made her happy.

“Well, you and I are going to get dressed up really nicely and I am going to take you to dinner and then to a show in downtown London. Since you liked some of the musicals we have seen I found a musical that is based on an opera called La Boehme that is supposed to be very good. So we will both go out and see a show in a real theatre with real actors, as it is a very different experience from watching a movie. I haven’t seen this particular musical either so it will be exciting for both of us.” explained Hermione with a bit of a twinkle in her eye.

Ginny smiled slightly, fluttered her eyelashes and said coyly, “Why Miss Granger, are you attempting to take me out on a fancy date and have your wicked way with me?”

Hermione blushed and looked down at her hands, since that was partially what she had been thinking. She did remember how Ginny had looked at the Yule ball back in her fourth year and since she was more mature and a good bit more attractive that this would be a lot of fun. Ginny laughed at the response. “You know I am only teasing you ‘mione. I know this is only going to be as friends. You know, your first girlfriend is going to be really lucky.”

“Thanks.” Hermione looked at her feet and thought to herself ‘I hope it’s you.’

“So what are we going to see?” asked Ginny, quite curious.

“That’s a surprise, Gin. Honestly.” Hermione rolled her eyes at that.

“Can’t blame a girl for trying.” Ginny shrugged and laughed a little at the response.

Hermione shook her head, the kind of things that Ginny would get up to. She would have to be on her guard to make sure that the girl did not find some way to worm the answer out of her between now and then. Then again if she could hold secrets from Bellatrix under torture she could probably keep this from Ginny. She tisked and said chidingly, “Ginny it’s called a surprise for a reason.”

“Fair enough. So, what’s it like?” asked Ginny, looking out the window again.

“What’s what like?” Hermione wasn’t sure what Ginny was getting at. There were too many options and it wasn’t all that descriptive in this case.

“Fancying girls.”

“Oh. Well, you know, in a way it’s a lot like fancying guys. There are things about them that interest you both physically and in their personality. And you kind of want to spend all your time with them. You know, just like when you fancy a guy. No difference really, except that it is with another girl. Not having been in a relationship yet I guess I can’t really say more than that with any authority.” answered Hermione. The books she had been reading had helped her figure these sorts of things out and come to terms with these things herself. Having her feet on solid ground on this issue certainly helped her deal with these sorts of questions.

Ginny nodded and said a bit absently, “You know there are a couple of players on the Holyhead Harpies that are like that, into women. It really is no big deal, though one of them is a bit of a slag. That actually gets more notice than the fact that she likes girls really. Ugh, and some of the girls she gets together with…”

“Really? I didn’t know what the wizarding world thought about this sort of thing. There are all sorts of opinions about it here in the muggle world, from acceptance to outright hatred. I was actually a little worried about it to tell you the truth.” admitted Hermione, shifting a bit in her seat.

“Well, it’s not exactly common and it might get a few eyebrows raised at you by some people but no one really cares about it, not nearly as much as some people care about stupid blood purity or even the houses you get sorted into to a degree. Blood matters more to most of these people than anything else. Bloody wankers if you ask me. I mean, look at where that got us.” said Ginny, shaking her head in disgust.

Hermione let out a sigh of relief. One of her biggest fears had been alleviated. “Oh good. I was a bit worried about all of that. I thought people might get all weird about my coming out.”

“Well, I do know some people who might be sad because you will be off the market for them but there are others who will probably get really excited about the prospect. There are a few girls who will come running once they hear about this.” commented Ginny, still looking out the window.

“Oh? Really? Anyone I know?” asked Hermione with interest.

Hermione could see the tips of her friend’s ears pinking. “There are a few girls I have heard make comments about you that have shown more than a casual interest in you. But no, I’m not going to make it that easy for you.”

“Really now? My, my… that’s excellent. My dating possibilities might just be changing for the better. Look out Hogwarts, here comes Hermione Granger. Rowr!” Hermione clawed the air with one hand.

Ginny had turned some and managed to catch the end of that action. She goggled a little and then started laughing, falling against the window. “Oh Merlin… what… what was that?”

Hermione pretended to pout and look affronted at that. “Hey! I’ll have you know that was my playful sexy kitty look.”

“Oh yeah, ‘mione… that look… that look’s a keeper. You are going to slay them. That look is dangerous.” Ginny kept snickering, shaking her head.

“What? I am dangerous.” protested Hermione with a huff.

“Did I say you weren’t Miss Granger?” countered Ginny with a grin.

“I’ll show you dangerous.” growled Hermione in playful menace, holding up her clawed hand.

“Really? Here? Now? On a public bus?” asked Ginny innocently, blinking her eyes enticingly.

Hermione realized where they were and then blushed a bright red as she noticed that a few people were looking their way, some clearly amused by the girls’ antics. Ginny just snickered some more at the girl’s embarrassment. Hermione smacked her lightly on the arm as she looked at the floor. “Prat.”

“What? I’m just teasing you.” Ginny hugged Hermione briefly. “That was just really cute and I couldn’t let that pass without teasing you about it. You know that it wouldn’t be the Weasley thing to do.”

“Fine.” She groused briefly. “What do you want to do this evening?”

“I don’t know. Don’t you usually look through your school books before classes, to get a jump on things?” asked Ginny.

Hermione looked a bit surprised at the question, as that is exactly what she would normally be doing if Ginny had not been here with her. “You would really want to do that?”

“Well, maybe for a little bit. You know I have been trying to do well on my schoolwork unlike some younger Weasleys. You have the best study habits of anybody I know, so if I want to really succeed in my NEWTS then I want to study with you and like you. If that means that I need to look over the books early in order to review the material and get a jump on things, then so be it.” said Ginny with a shrug. “Besides, between you and Luna, I don’t want to feel like the idiot cousin when we get back to school.”

With a lighthearted laugh, Hermione said, “You aren’t an idiot Gin.”

“My two best girlfriends are both bloody geniuses ‘mione, each in their own way. I want to try and keep up with you both somehow but I know I haven’t been the best student either. Granted I’m no Ron but I also know I’m not in the same category as either of you. I have gotten E’s and a few O’s but I want to do better. I know I really want to play Quidditch professionally but that doesn’t mean I should just ignore my studies.” explained Ginny, wanting to make her stance on things clear, so that Hermione would not think she was being down on herself.

“That is a very mature point of view to have Ginny. And you will need a career after sports so having the NEWTS to ensure you can get whatever job you want to have will be helpful.” said Hermione.

“I really want to play Quidditch, because it makes me happy, and now that the war is over I don’t have to worry about having to fight anymore. I can just relax and just be me. It is such a relief. So I have been planning on really working the team hard this year and trying to impress the scouts when they come by with how the team plays and how I play. I want more than anything than to play for Holyhead but I know that if I do it by showing off that it won’t happen. I have to be smart. Getting on that team has been my dream since I was a little girl and I want it so bad ‘mione. That would be fantastic if I could do that.” Ginny was looking out the window again but clearly not seeing anything except her dreams.

“I am sure you can do it Gin. You are a great player, even Harry says so, and he is the youngest Seeker in what, a hundred years. Even I can tell you are good at the game and I have no clue about anything. You fly really well, better than everyone else. I am sure you can make this happen.” said Hermione, trying to make Ginny feel better about her chances.

“I am not sure what I can do to ensure that I can make this happen. I can only train so much and I can only push the team so hard. And if I sacrifice my studying time for training time I’m screwing myself in other ways. This is going to be so difficult.”

“Then maybe all you can do is your best and see what happens.” Hermione rested a hand on Ginny’s shoulder. She knew it was only a platitude but sometimes that was the best you could do in some situations and that did not make them wrong.

“You’re right, I know you’re right, but that doesn’t mean that I have to like it.” pouted Ginny, sticking out her bottom lip a little.

Hermione had to fight against the urge that hit her so strong at that moment to lean forward and kiss Ginny. She looked so adorable right then, with her lip out and pouting and her brown eyes kind of sad that it was almost killing her not to kiss the redhead. She needed to change the topic if she was going to have any chance of resisting. “So what do you want to do this evening? My parents are going out on a date, leaving us alone on our own devices. I mean, besides studying.”

“Well, how about some of the take away from that Chinese place by the bus stop? We can bring it to your place, you can put it under a warming charm and we can have it later. That way we can have food with very little effort or cleanup.” said Ginny. “Their Sesame Chicken was very tasty.”

“I’m okay with that. We can have a little bit of a buffet and that could be fun.” Hermione was rather amused. Ginny had really taken to Chinese food once she had gotten introduced to it. That was a good thing in her opinion as Hermione did like it as well. Having grown up having a wider range of food options than just your English standard cooking that Molly excelled at and Hogwarts generally provided, made her really crave different foods when she returned home for the holidays.

Hermione turned her thoughts to the things she had to do later, such as study, make sure she had everything ready for Hogwarts, get any last minute things from Senior Healer Bainsley for Madam Pomfrey, things along those lines. She also wanted to be able to spend the tail end of August doing as little as possible, besides her standard book review. Oh yeah, she also had to come out to her parents early enough so that they had a chance to reply before she got on the train. That was sure to be a lot of fun. It made her stomach churn just a little to even think about it. Maybe she could just skip the whole thing?

That also reminded her, did she need to get her parents their own owl so they could mail her on their own? That way she could keep up correspondence with them instead of only relying on the occasional letters back and forth when she sent Perdita to them. It would certainly make things easier. She groaned as she realized the additional hassle she created for herself.

Ginny turned from the window and looked at Hermione with some concern, asking, “What’s wrong?”

“I am just wondering if my parents need their own owl.” said Hermione, rubbing her forehead as it almost felt like she was getting a stress headache. She pinched the bridge of her nose, to see if that would help.

Ginny stared at her a few seconds and then busted out laughing. This was not a simple laugh but a full belly laugh as if she had been hit by a spell. Hermione was shocked, unsure what she was supposed to feel or think but that reaction to what she had said was not what she had expected. People were staring at them again and it made Hermione feel somewhat self-conscious and unsure what to do.

The bus reached their stop shortly thereafter and Ginny and her exited the bus with the redhead still clearly amused by whatever had been in that statement that was funny. The girl was still unable to talk, as she was chuckling away, very much amused with everything. As the bus pulled away and it was clear there was no one around them for the moment Hermione blurted out, “Ginny, what is so damn funny!”

“Hermione, you have been in the magical world for how long? And it only just occurred to you now that your parents might want their own owl? Oh Merlin… that’s so bloody funny.” Ginny bent over laughing again.

Hermione looked up to the sky and asked Dumbledore to give her patience. It did not really help. She started counting to ten. That did not help. She then switched to French. That did not help either. Her irritation exploded out, “Honestly Ginevra Molly Weasley!”

Ginny was immediately silenced as if hit with a silencing spell and stood up straight. Her brown eyes were somewhat wide with traces of fear and she stared right at Hermione who was glaring at her. It would probably have been a funny sight if she had not been so upset.

“Prior to all of this my parents and I were close but not too close, nothing like your family. It is only now that it is an issue. Before it might have been interesting but they never seemed overly interested from what I could tell and honestly I was too busy focusing on school and Harry’s problems to notice much of anything. With the biggest issue keeping me from really talking to them now gone my priorities have completely shifted as have my parents’ priorities.” Hermione was clearly worked up and her hands were clenched.

“I’m sorry ‘mione. I really am. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Ginny sounded honestly contrite.

Hermione took a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling her irritation ebb. It was clear that the girl meant what she was saying. She rubbed her forehead, trying to push back the slight tension headache that was almost ready to crash into her. “Thank you Ginny. I know you didn’t mean to upset me, it’s just that… the last several years, especially since Voldemort returned, I haven’t been able to tell my parents anything about what had been going on, so they didn’t know how bad it was getting in that world. I did that because I knew that if they did know they would pull me from Hogwarts in a heartbeat. If they did that I was certain that my wand would be snapped, my magic bound, maybe me and my whole family Oblivated and Harry would die and I could not live with that, could not take that chance. But now… now I really want to let them in. I miss my family and I hate the fact that this stupid war drove me away from them.”

Ginny enfolded Hermione in her arms, hugging the older girl tight. “It’ll be okay Hermione. You’ll see. And your parents are wonderful people and love you very much. It is clear to me at least that you all have a wonderful relationship. I think they will be quite happy with their own owl and will enjoy sending you letters and such. It’ll all be okay.”

Hermione sniffled a few times, trying to fight back her tears. It felt so good to be in Ginny’s arms and she wished that things could just be this way, with Ginny and her dating. To be able to be held like this in these arms all the time, their comforting embrace chasing away all her fears and worry, keeping her safe and warm, there could be nothing better in her mind. However it did no good for her to live in delusion and would only hurt more in the end. She had to face facts, regardless of how sad they made her. Ginny was not her’s.

Ginny just held her and rubbed her back gently, not worrying about the fact that Hermione’s arms were wrapped low about her hips. As Hermione pulled back a little, lifting her head from Ginny’s shoulder but not getting it too far from the girl’s face, a guy walked out of one the nearby businesses, glanced at them and scoffed, “Bloody dykes!”

Ginny immediately released her, spun towards the man, eyes wide with anger and yelled back, “Fucking arsehole!”

The man flashed her the two fingered salute and Ginny made a move towards her wand. Hermione grabbed her arm and barely stopped her from doing that given how quick the Chaser was. “No. No Ginny, I don’t want you to get in trouble over some stupid git like that. It’s not worth it. Please, let’s just get the food and go.”

“Did you hear what that bloody arse called you?” She was clearly incensed over the whole situation and wanted to take some sort of action. Her fists were clenching and unclenching.

“What he called us, and yes, and screw him. I’m a lesbian and that’s okay. I’m gonna get called that, more than once and probably worse. It sucks but that’s the way it is. Not everyone is like that but there are enough to go around. Now let’s get our food and go home. I have to say though you were my brave bold Gryffindor hero for going after him like that.” said Hermione, with a smile and a cheeky wink.

“S’not bloody right. Should of Bat Boggied him. That would have learned him.” grumbled Ginny, still distracted with the thought of that incident, eyes still cutting off in the direction the man had gone.

Deciding that she just wanted to end this line of discussion and move on, Hermione leaned in, kissed Ginny on the cheek and said in a near swoon, “My Hero!”

Ginny blushed a bright red and looked down at the sidewalk, unable to respond. Hermione laughed brightly and pulled Ginny along behind her towards the Chinese restaurant.


	14. Chapter 14

Fourteen

The next few days with Ginny sort of flew by as the girls did all manner of things to keep themselves occupied. As everything was all prepared for the date/ present and ready to go, Hermione was all but bouncing with anticipation to see how this particular present would be received by her best female friend. She really wanted this date but not really a date to be especially wonderful for Ginny as it was her birthday present and thus she had exerted a good bit of effort in an attempt to make it the best night she could manage. Her mom had found a nice Italian restaurant near the theatre where the two of them could eat before curtain call and still have time to get to their seats even if they walked to the theatre. Her parents had heard good things about it, which made her feel better about the choice. All in all that part of the plan was just fine.

Hermione had actually used a little magic to ensure that the two of them had gotten good tickets for the musical, but as it was not her general practice to do this sort of thing she did not feel too bad about using magic for this purpose. It was for a special occasion after all and it was not something she did every day. This was clearly a onetime occurrence after all and she had used the subtlest magic she could manage to ensure the smallest chance for detection. So now there were a pair of tickets near enough to the stage to have a great view of everything but not too close as to not be able to clearly see the whole stage waiting for them at Will Call and they had a place to eat and everything that could be was planned out. This night should be perfect, well, at least as perfect as any plans like these could usually turn out. If Harry or Ron had been involved in the planning stages of it the whole thing would surely have spelled disaster for all involved. That was their luck after all.

It had been an easy decision to go for Italian because if there was one thing she was familiar with after all this time it was the Weasley appetite, since every member of that family had it to a degree, even Percy. She knew that Ginny could eat almost as much as Ron, she just had the good graces to avoid shoveling it in. Ron loved food but his table manners were atrocious and sometimes could actually turn the stomach. Ginny’s manners on the other hand were quite good and would only take a little work to be decent for formal dining. It seemed that she had at least had paid attention to her mother’s training when she had been younger and did not practically throw the food down her gullet. That was another of the things that Hermione really liked about the girl. There really were a lot of things that she liked about Ginny.

She sighed and tried to push those thoughts out of her mind. If she started thinking in that way then Ginny would have no problem catching on to how she really felt about her and that would make things even more awkward than they already were. She really felt things strongly for Ginny but was still unsure how to approach the other girl and had no idea of how to tell her how she felt. That and there was still the fact that it was a little bit weird coming to terms with her being attracted to women. The more she thought about it the more she could recognize that the signs had been there all the time but it was still kind of shocking nonetheless. That was surely why she had a much longer list of favorite actresses than actors, why all her favorite teachers had been women, and why she really seemed to find female athletes more attractive than male or even other women. It did not elude her notice that Ginny was an attractive female athlete.

No, she still had to tell her parents about this and everything. But now was not the time to worry about that, now was the time to think about the fact that she was going to be taking Ginny out to dinner and a musical all on her own for her birthday. Being able to spend a few hours alone with the girl in a fairly romantic setting was going to be lovely. If the fates were kind to her she could even make this a bit of a tradition if the redhead liked this. Who knew? This might even go well. Hermione could only hope that things worked out the way that she was hoping.

She looked in the mirror of her vanity, locked her brown eyes with reflected eyes and sighed at herself. Who was she kidding? She was well aware that this was actually a date, pure and simple, even if Ginny had not been told the truth of the matter. It was even a fairly romantic date and it kind of showed clearly if you looked at it in the right way, or even cocked your head slightly. How could anyone miss this, as it was so obvious? Ginny would be able to see right through her and know what was up in minutes, all of her deepest feelings exposed. She was going to get called on this before the appetizers arrived, ruining everything. Hermione leaned her head against the mirror and groaned. She could do this. She really could. And it was too late to back out now, everything was already in motion.

Right. So. First things first, getting dressed. She had already showered and Ginny was in there now. Now for toughest choice of the evening, what to wear. There was a nice red dress that was somewhat similar to the one she had worn to Bill and Fleur’s wedding and she also had a pink dress that was really cute, that was sort of short and flirty. She also had a little black dress as well that she had gotten with her mother but she was not sure which of those three to wear. What exactly was the message she was trying to send with her outfit? Oh this was making her crazy.

After several minutes of deliberation, she decided on the black dress as it was simple and looked good on her. It wasn’t overly flirty and did not have that weird connotation to weddings that the other one had. No, this would work just fine. She even had jewelry that would complement things quite nicely. There were shoes she had gotten earlier that would go work with the whole ensemble and only had a minimal heel. Heels were nice and made her legs and butt look good, however they were a little precarious and something she had rarely worn. Thankfully she knew a few spells that could help with that and make them a little less bothersome. There was little doubt in her mind that wobbling while she walked would not be attractive. A quick color changing charm later and her hand bag was an appropriate color as well.

Once she was finished getting herself ready, she headed out to the living room to wait for Ginny, so that her best friend would have plenty of undisturbed private space to get all dressed up in. She knew she appreciated it when she was dressing and was sure Ginny would feel the same. Her mother smiled at her as she walked in, “You look really pretty Hermione.”

“Thank you Mom.”

“Are you sure that she will enjoy this?” This was asked without too much worry, more as a double checking thing.

Hermione bit her bottom lip and then said somewhat nervously, “Not really. I think she will, as she has enjoyed a couple of the musicals we have seen. The show is supposed to be very good and it has gotten wonderful reviews both here and in New York. It even won four Tony awards including best musical, so that has a lot going for it. I think that speaks highly for the show and hopefully this company will be able to do a great job with it.”

“Will Ginny even understand some of it? You know it is going to reference a lot of things that will not be familiar to her. That could be a problem.” asked her mother, again pointing out important flaws in her plan.

“She should be, besides I’ll be right there to answer any questions she might have. I am sure there is nothing in that show that I can’t explain. Besides, after reading the basic premise I was going to give her a rough primer to things.” said Hermione, quite confident about that.

“That should be fine, I hope. You know, if she asks too many questions she might disrupt things for the other audience members, so you need to be aware of that.” commented her mother, pointing out another obvious fact that Hermione had overlooked.

“I suppose if I had to I could use a limited silencing charm around us?” mused Hermione, trying to figure out what the logistics of a spell like that would be. It shouldn’t be that difficult to limit the area of effect… right? “That should keep things quiet.”

Her mother rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “You know Hermione, whispering also has a long and noble tradition.”

“Mother… honestly. It’s not we were going to have a regular conversation, full voice right there in the middle of everything. Neither of us are that crass.” Hermione huffed. Surely her mother was not that crazy, to think that the two of them would do something that rude in the middle of the show.

“What? You were the one who was going to use magic to do something that a simple fix would take care of.” It was clear by her tone that she was teasing her daughter.

“Okay… fair point.” Hermione heard a sound behind her and she turned.

Ginny had walked into the living room, wearing a lovely dress in a very non-Slytherin green and gold that made her hair and eyes pop. The fabric also clung to her body nicely, emphasizing her curves and muscle tone. Her hair was mostly down and had a faint shine that Hermione knew could be achieved without magic. Two bits from the side were pulled up and held by a barrette that complemented the dress perfectly. Hermione swallowed heavily, her mouth falling open as she was stunned by the sight. Ginny simply took her breath away. “So what do you think?”

“You look great Gin.” replied Hermione, honesty clear in her voice.

“Thank you. Fleur sent it over to our house, saying she and Bill got it for me to wear for something special. This sounded like a special occasion to me so I wanted to try it on.”

Hermione said a silent thank you to Fleur for this dress and the accessories that went with it. It seemed clear that the young woman was thinking of her even now. Maybe she should send her Patronus off to her with a quick thank you to her? There was no way that she would misunderstand the meaning… right? “It is a great dress. You look absolutely fantastic. Fleur clearly has great taste and she found something that suits you perfectly.”

“I agree. Fleur really is a lot better than I gave initially her credit for. I misjudged her and you said she really helped you after you got hurt so I have to give her a lot of credit for that. And the way she stayed by Bill through all of that… yeah… She’s not even remotely a Phlegm any longer.” said Ginny, clearly a touch emotional at points.

Hermione laughed a little at what she had said. Her mother looked confused and asked the redhead, “You called her Phlegm?”

Ginny blushed a little at the question, looking away and Hermione decided to explain, hoping to help Ginny through this. She knew that the youngest Weasley would hate to be on the outs with her mother as the two of them usually got along so well most of the time and this really had been a simple case of sibling overprotectiveness. “Fleur is very beautiful and quite talented. She was also really nice to Harry when we met her fourth year, especially after the first task but definitely by the end of the second. She was the French Champion for the Triwizard Tournament. She married the eldest of the Weasley boys, Bill.”

“That doesn’t explain the nickname.” said her mother, interested and clearly paying a good bit of attention to things.

“Ginny… ah… really looks up to her big brother. And at the time was also grumpy with someone else being nice to Harry. That combination did not mix very well and she got… overprotective, somewhat aggressively so. Hence the nickname.” Hermione fought to keep from snickering. If she did she was almost certain that Ginny would smack her in the back of her head and she did not want that to happen, it might mess up her hair.

“You know… yes, that does explain things. Well, I am glad that everything worked itself out then Ginny and that your relationship with her improved. You girls have go have some fun and be safe. I guess we’ll see you after the show?” she asked.

“Yes Mom… we’ll be safe and apparate home right after.” replied Hermione, amused at the very standard parenting speech that she was hearing. She was sure she was going to say the same things to her children when she was a parent but it didn’t make the absurdity of telling two war veterans to be careful any less funny.

“That’s good. Well, have fun.”

Hermione grabbed Ginny and the two of them disapparated to the Leaky Cauldron before her mom kept talking. She really did not want to hear anymore and if she had to be told to be safe one more time she might just scream. Once there they left the pub before they attracted too much notice and headed out to the main street in order to catch a taxi. Ginny and she walked calmly to the main street alongside each other, Hermione leading and closer to the street. Ginny took this opportunity to look at her and ask, “So now that we are doing this whatever this is, where are we going?”

Hermione smiled at her coyly, looking at her through her lashes. “Well just so you know, dinner tonight is going to be Italian food and then afterwards we are going to go see a show.”

“I already know that part Hermione, you already told me that we were doing dinner and a show. What show?” asked Ginny curiously. “It’s not like the name will actually mean anything to me if you say it. I mean, honestly Hermione all the shows I know you showed me. You know all the titles of all the shows I know.”

Hermione thought about it and realized that Ginny had a fair point, one she couldn’t argue with. Ginny had no way to have heard of the show before and the name would therefore have no meaning to her. It wasn’t like the wizarding world had an equivalent to Broadway or the West End. It would be just fine to tell her. “Okay. You made a perfectly valid point. The show we are going to see is called Rent. It is an American musical that deals with a bunch of friends living in New York, many of whom are poor artists, dealing with life, love, and AIDS.”

Ginny was not following, clearly confused by something. “AIDS? What’s that?”

“It is a terrible disease that people can get from either sex or sharing needles when shooting up drugs or a few other methods. It attacks your immune system making it so that you basically get so sick that you die. There is a lot more to it as the disease s very complex but that is basically it. It’s as dangerous as Dragon Pox only worse.” clarified Hermione, trying to keep her explanation as simple as possible, despite everything in her telling her to keep sharing information until she had covered the topic completely. She knew plenty about the disease but did not want to overwhelm Ginny with data.

“A musical about people with a fatal illness? This is supposed to be good?” Ginny looked really skeptically at Hermione, clearly doubting the wisdom of this choice.

“Isn’t that what you said when Romeo+Juliet started?” countered Hermione with a smirk.

“Fair point. I have to admit I know you would never drag me off to see something terrible. Nothing you have taken me to see this whole summer has been terrible. I trust you Hermione.” said Ginny, touching Hermione on her bare arm.

Hermione flagged down a taxi, using that action to keep from saying anything in response to that statement. She was glad that Ginny trusted her but would she continue to do so if she knew how Hermione felt about her? To know that Hermione had known about these feelings she had for her and still continued to share a bed with her. To know that Hermione desired her, sexually and said nothing, instead enjoying the pleasure of awakening in her arms. There was no way to know how she would react to such knowledge so all Hermione could do was fret. Thankfully it did not take too long for one of the black cabs to pull over and let them in. She gave the driver the address of the restaurant and they headed off to dinner.

Once seated, she turned to face Ginny and said, “Well, it is good that you trust me Ginevra because tonight should be interesting and fun.”

“You know… you are about the only person who can say my actual name and not make me want to curse them. At least I’m not as bad as Tonks was though.” Ginny smirked.

“I like your name.” stated Hermione, wanting to make that point clear.

Ginny rolled her eyes and said, “Well, you would. Most others just think it’s old fashioned.”

“And like Hermione is currently a very popular name?” teased Hermione.

“Okay, another point.” conceded Ginny with a grin. “I can give you that. I guess we’ve both been saddled with odd, old names.”

“I don’t mind names like that. I think it gives your name some weight, some meaning. Using an old family name or an older name that you like, sounds like a perfectly good idea to me. I always thought I might name a daughter Rosalind and call her Rosie, since the name means beautiful rose, but Rose itself sounds good as well for a diminutive.” said Hermione, looking out the window at the passing buildings, losing herself to one of her oldest daydreams.

“That’s a really pretty name. I like it. You know, Rosalind Weasley sounds pretty but you know, I don’t imagine that you’re going to end up marrying Ron now are you?” Ginny snickered.

“I don’t know Gin… maybe if he grew some breasts and let his hair grow out he might be fetching, but I’m not sure. I am sure though that George can help make that happen if we asked him really nicely for a little bit of help with this plan.” retorted Hermione, trying to get the suddenly clear image she now had of her and Ginny holding a beautiful baby girl out of her mind. The detail in this image was incredible and it was not fair that she had this now battling for dominance in her thoughts. It was making anything else difficult to do.

Ginny blinked a few times, as if she were not really sure she had just heard that come out of Hermione’s mouth. Hermione merely smiled and winked at her, knowing what the possible effect would be. This set Ginny off and she started laughing. Between the guffaws she managed to wheeze out, “George… would… totally… do… that.”

“I’m glad you agree.” Hermione’s response was nice and dry, belying the fact that she thought it would be amusing.

“We should totally do that ‘mione. It will give George a really clever prank to focus on and what a great prank that would be. Oh I can just imagine the look on Ron’s face when that happened to him.” Ginny was still snickering, the laughter still not letting go of her.

“I think it would be funnier to see how Ron would react as he suddenly realizes that the strongest people he knows are us women. I think he might just die when that finally penetrates his skull. Even Harry is outnumbered by us, but at least he is okay with that.” said Hermione, slightly irked with the way Ron usually acted. Hadn’t he ever realized the number of powerful witches he knew compared to the number of powerful wizards?

“Well Harry is sweet that way.” replied Ginny, with a smile.

The cab pulled up to the restaurant and Ginny got out as Hermione paid. Once they were both on the sidewalk, Hermione led Ginny into the restaurant, letting her go through the door first. There was only a short wait for their table as it seemed that the restaurant was running on time that evening and their reservation was early enough that it was before the usual dinner rush. That was nice, as it reduced the chance that they would miss the opening of the show. That would have been a disaster.

Once they were seated, the two of them were looking over the menus. Ginny seemed kind of in awe of the list of food as her eyes kept going back and forth over things. Hermione had a slight smile on her face as she had an idea what the problem could be however she was trying not to presume too much. For all the wonders of magic she was aware that many places still had rather limited menu’s. At least that was the case with the Leaky Cauldron and the Three Broomsticks. “Is something wrong Gin?”

Ginny leaned forward and whispered intently, “I thought I knew Italian food. I have no idea what a lot of this is.”

“There is a lot more variety to Italian cooking than most people think. They usually think about only a few items or options but that is not the limits of what is available in their cuisine. This place has a lot more than just pasta and the pasta they do have represents a far wider range of what exists. I thought you would enjoy trying something new, different and tasty. Was I wrong?” Hermione smiled at the redhead, hoping her read on her would be borne out.

“No, you were right. I think I can go with something new. It’s just that I am not used to all of this. There are so many options.” Ginny grinned and turned her attention to the menu with renewed vigor.

“That sounds good. I was thinking about their chicken and wild mushroom risotto with the asparagus on the side.” said Hermione as she scanned the menu for her own meal.

“That looks good, but I was thinking about the Cacciatore. That sounded interesting. I’ve heard about this before but have never had it.” admitted Ginny with a shrug. “The description sounds so tasty.”

“Should we get an antipasta?” asked Hermione, as she looked at a different section of the menu.

“Hunh?” Looking back at the redhead she had to smile at the confusion there.

“Appetizer.”

“Oh… sure. That might be good.” Ginny was much more comfortable with the English words for the parts of the meal rather than the more appropriate Italian terms. Hermione could not really blame her.

The waiter came by and took their order, leaving the girls to continue their conversation, menus gone as well as the other distractions. “So is there anything else I need to know about this show before we go see it?”

Hermione smiled, glad that Ginny asked about that. That would have never occurred to Ron, or maybe it might have but not as a usual occurrence. “No. I’ve told you what I know about the show already from the descriptions I have read. I am excited about seeing it as well. There were such great reviews that I just knew we had to go to this one. I got us the best seats that I could manage.”

Ginny took a deep breath and sighed, she was clearly getting somewhat emotional by things. “Thank you for this Hermione. This is so amazingly different from what everyone else usually gives me for my birthday that there really is no comparison. I mean, yeah I really do like new Quidditch stuff and clothes and I know we don’t have a lot of money but this is a nice change from the usual. Thank you.”

“It is my pleasure Gin. I just wanted to make sure you had the best birthday possible. It’s been a crap year for all of us and you could use something different and fun instead of the same old party with the same people like usual.” said Hermione with a soft smile playing over her lips. How could she deny Ginny anything? She would give her the world without hesitation if she had the power to make that happen. “You’re my best friend, Ginevra. And that means only the very best for you.”

Ginny’s eyes glistened a little as Hermione spoke, and she had a soft smile to share. “You know, I can handle losing Harry, and in a way I was prepared for that thanks to Harry and his stupid nobility but you know, I don’t think I could handle losing you. You’ve kept me together this summer Hermione and I don’t know how to thank you.”

Hermione blushed and her heart soared. Was this it? Was Ginny going to tell her? Was her dream going to become a reality? “There is no need to thank me Ginny. I didn’t do it for thanks. You mean a lot to me as well, so how could I not be there for you?”

Ginny reached out her hand across the table and Hermione stretched out her own to take it a bit nervously. “I know, but with the way things have been going, you know…”

Hermione’s mood darkened a little, beginning to realize what Ginny was talking about and where this was actually going. This was not moving in the direction she wanted. “Yeah, I do. I’m still here and I’m not going anywhere.”

She had no intentions of going anywhere unless Ginny decided to tell here to bugger off after Hermione finally got her courage up enough to tell the girl how she really felt. The mere thought of doing such a thing made her quake inside and her mouth go a bit dry, prompting her to take a sip of water. No, she was not ready to say anything yet. It looked far, far too likely that saying anything would result in getting shot down. While it was not a very Gryffindor position she had to admit that it was better for her to suffer in silence with her dreams than to be shot down with the truth.

The conversation got much lighter when the food arrived, turning to thoughts about the upcoming school year and wondering if all the repairs would be done in time for all the incoming students. It really would be awkward going to classes in half completed classrooms, though they did make several jokes. The food was quite tasty and they each shared bits of their meals with the other, passing bits of food across the table on their forks for the other to eat. After sharing a Tiramisu for desert, the girls were soon heading down the street toward the theatre so they could find their seats in time for the show.

Hermione was so excited. Ginny seemed so absorbed by the play, completely falling into the action. Ginny even mooed quite loudly during the performance art piece, several times as Maureen beckoned the audience to join in. The show was even better than she had hoped, with catchy songs that stuck in her head and a storyline that was gripping. That there was a lesbian couple in it was a surprise and Hermione had to admit that both actresses were hot. They were close enough to get a good view of everything. And the girl who played the stripper… there was plenty to look at besides the wonderful show.

Standing in the lobby, drinking a bottle of water Hermione just stood there listening to Ginny gush over things. She was so excited. Hermione had only seen her like this a few times before, at the World Cup, the Triwizard Tournament, and occasionally at Christmas. “Oh Merlin Hermione, those songs, they’re wonderful. And the dancing from Mimi… wow. I wish I could move like that. And some of those ideas… wow…”

“So you like it then?” Hermione asked teasingly.

“No I hate every moment. Of course I like it ‘mione. This is so good. Ugh… this story is killing me. Angel and Collins… they are so cute together. That song they sang was so wonderful. Maureen and Joanne are pretty cute as well. And that Mimi… she is a looker as well. I’m not so big on Roger but I have to admit that Mark has the same kind of dorky hot thing that Harry does. It really makes me like him more.” said Ginny, looking down at her program as she spoke so she was certain to remember all the characters names.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at everything that Ginny was saying and then shook her head. Maybe she was just getting her hopes up and reading into things a little too much. It wouldn’t be the first time she had done that but this time she could set herself up for a lot of heartache. “Yeah, Mark is a bit like Harry. But so is Angel in a way, with the way she is trying to save everyone.”

“Ugh… I know what you mean. And you know, I kind of hate that part of him. It is completely endearing right until he goes out and does something stupid yet again nearly getting himself killed in the process. Prat.” grumbled Ginny.

“I thought you were over him?” asked Hermione a bit worried. She might be attracted to Ginny but she would never get between Harry and her. Both had gone through too much for her to interfere. If either wanted a chance at happiness together then there is no way she would pursue anyone.

“Oh, don’t worry I am, that’s not even a concern, it’s just that how many times can my heart stop before Harry actually stops acting like that? I’m not sure I can take much more of this. And I almost pity whoever he ends up with. If they aren’t ready for that part of him it will kill them.”

“Good point.” conceded Hermione, her own heart starting again now that she had heard that. The lights flickered and she grabbed Ginny’s hand, giving it a slight tug. “Come on. We need to head back to our seats.”

Ginny lost herself again in the rest of the play and Hermione spent her time watching the stage and glancing over at the red head. Seasons of Love was really moving even though the math for one year in seconds was closer to… if she could recall the exact figure based off the accurate length of a day was 525,949 or was that just for a leap year? She would have to double check as she could not completely recall the number. She had been away from non-magical data for far too long to have it completely at her fingertips. It was certainly close enough to accurate to not quibble too much.

Once the show was over, Hermione bought Ginny a shirt and got herself a CD of the cast recording. When Ginny saw that, she took hold of Hermione’s arm and begged, “Please find a way to get me a copy. I really want to be able to hear those songs more often than just tonight. Please?”

Laughing at how desperate the redhead sounded, Hermione said, “I’ll see if I can manage to find something to make that happen. Maybe I can find something that will let me do that, to record the music onto something that can play it back in a magical setting. If not, I will send a letter to Professor Flitwick for assistance. You will have a copy of the music, I promise.”

“Yes!” Ginny was quite excited by the mere idea of the project.

Once they were out of sight of the crowds, Hermione disillusioned them to avoid any surprise viewers and then they disapparated back to Hermione’s house, and into her bedroom where a quick Finite canceled the spell. Ginny hugged her warmly and said, “Thank you again. This was a great birthday present. Nobody have eveer done anything like this for me ever. We will have to do this again as I don’t think anything else could top this but I’m willing to try.”

“Sure. That would be great. I had a lot of fun.” replied Hermione, pleased that Ginny wanted to do this again. She really had had fun and wanted to do more, anything to spend more time with Ginny.

The girl in question turned so her back was facing Hermione and asked, “Could you unzip me? I want to get changed.”

Ginny had no idea what that innocent question did to Hermione. In its own way it was worse than the idea of her and Ginny holding their child. There was a rushing of warmth in her groin and she fought against the images that started dancing in her head, of them pulling clothes off each other, of kisses, of caresses, of nibbles, sucks, licks. She swallowed, attempting to banish those thoughts and said, “Sure.”

She lowered the zipper carefully, exposing the smooth expanse of skin and Ginny looked over her shoulder at her with a pleasant smile. “Thank you.”

“No problem. I’m going to let my mom know we’re home.” Hermione left the room before she saw much more of Ginny’s back or anything else for that matter. Once she was outside of the room and closed the door to give Ginny some privacy, Hermione took a deep breath and let it out rather shakily, her body trembling and burning with need. How was she going to deal with this? This whole situation with Ginny was going to kill her.


	15. Chapter 15

Fifteen

Arriving at the Burrow several days later for the party was a fairly interesting affair. Hermione stood slightly to the side to help catch her parents as they came stumbling slightly out of the fireplace, mostly needing to steady them. Her parents had been getting better at floo travel as the two of them were getting more used to the magical world over this summer and were much better at moving around in it than Harry usually was. Since her oldest friend was a complete klutz in these cases most anything was better than that. She had to admit that amused her to no end. Poor Harry, he still was not a fan of most forms of magical transportation except brooms.

It was still early and the party was not for a while thus the only people there inside the house were the parents of the Weasley family. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came up and greeted her parents, clearly pleased to see them again. Hermione hugged the two adults and asked, “It’s nice to see you again Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Would you happen to know where Ginny is?”

“She’s outside with the others, making sure the tent is up and everything is ready for the party. She said she wasn’t going to trust the boys to get it done right.” replied Molly with a smile.

Her mother patted her arm and said with a smile, “Go on dear, we’ll stay inside and just talk to the Weasleys. You go and find her. We’ll be okay.”

Hermione nodded and headed outside. She moved past the garden and once there she could clearly see George and Charlie finishing setting up the last of the tables while Ginny and Ron were dealing with setting the places behind them. Percy was off to one side apparently prepping a punch bowl table and getting the glasses set down in order with a wave of his wand, which she had to admit fit his still anal retentive personality. Thankfully he had gotten over things before the end. It seemed pretty obvious to her that they were almost done with this particular part of the set up and probably did not need any more assistance from her. She simply stood off to the side, watched and waited.

Once George and Charlie finished with the tables they helped finish off the place settings, to get everything done faster. Soon the group of them was done with that task and they grinned at each other. Seeing as they had probably done this task a number of times before they were probably pretty skilled at party set up and take down at this point. After all, the Weasley family was basically its own Quidditch team, with replacements. Once the congratulations were over, then Ginny turned some and noticed her standing there kind of smirking at the lot of them. She smiled brightly and called out excitedly, “Hermione!”

The red head hustled over, dodging round tables as if she were on her broom flying round defenders on the pitch and then reached her, lifting her off the ground some as she hugged her, turning slightly. “You’re early.”

“Well, I wanted to make sure my parents had no issues with Floo travel, so I ensured we had plenty of time to correct any mistakes or if they pulled a Harry and got lost. That would give me the time to hunt them down and get them.” explained Hermione, with a slight smile. She then looked away from Ginny’s warm chocolate eyes and over at the others, “Hi guys.”

“But they made it here okay? No trouble? Right?” asked Ginny a bit worried, as she had clearly come to like Hermione’s parents over the summer.

“They’re perfectly fine Gin. We all traveled quite well through the Floo and arrived here in one piece. I left them back at the house talking with your parents. Right now your dad is probably asking mine about who knows what, probably plugs or something like that.” It had taken a lot to resist putting her hand of Ginny’s cheek in a loving and comforting gesture so instead she focused on something else. Hermione giggled at the idea of Mr. Weasley bothering her dad about muggle technology. It was a good thing that her dad was skilled in that arena, but perhaps trying to explain things patiently to a wizard was not a skill he had. Mr. Weasley almost seemed to be immune to explanations of muggle technology and complete understanding of them. She had certainly tried enough times to explain simple concepts and had failed miserably.

“Oh no… what a terrible fate! Should we save him?” While Ginny seemed to be wavering between worried and amused, her lips kept twitching towards a smirk as she spoke.

“I don’t know. I think the idea of my father trying to explain to yours about rubber ducks and plugs and the like would be funny.” The two girls started laughing at that, clearly amused by the idea, as it was clear that they could both see the conversation in their minds.

George walked up to the chatting pair and gave Hermione a hug. “Hi there Hermione. How have you been? Haven’t seen much of you this summer.”

“Hi George. I’ve been fine. Just wanting to spend a lot of it with my parents and hanging out with Ginny. Oh that reminds me… ah, excuse me Gin, I actually need to talk to your brother for a few minutes if you don’t mind. I’ll be right back, I promise.” Ginny looked at the other girl, confused for a moment and then things seemed to click as she realized what Hermione had in mind. She just smiled and nodded.

The two of them walked a little bit away from the others, ensuring that they were far enough away to not be overheard by anyone, as that was a pretty common occurrence at the Burrow. It was one of the problems with living in such close quarters. George was obviously confused as to the need for secrecy in this and he turned to her, asking, “What’s this about?”

“First I wanted to know how you are doing? I’ve been worried about you.” Hermione gave him a friendly smile, trying to disarm him a little, so his natural suspicion would fade a bit. She had actually been concerned for him and she and Ginny had talked about George and Fred a few times, especially early in the summer, when the pain was still new and raw for her. As one half of some of her favorite siblings, Ginny had let Hermione in on her own concerns about her older brother.

He shrugged, looking past her into the fields beyond, not really seeing anything there. He refocused on her as he spoke. “I… bollocks, like lying would ever convince you. At least not very well. You have always been too bloody smart. How am I doing? This has been really hard Hermione. I miss him, so much it feels like my heart has been torn in two, you know? Every time I so much as look in a mirror it hurts all over again.”

“I hurt as well and miss him and I know it is nothing close to what you are feeling but that’s why I pretty much immediately thought of you when I had this particular opportunity fall into my lap.” She smiled at him, a coy smile that seemed to imply that she knew something that he didn’t, which was often the case to be sure but she knew how not knowing something bugged him. Knowing the twins like she did she was well aware of what such a look would have on the survivor, knowing how it would draw him in like a moth to a flame.

George looked a bit intrigued, moving a bit closer to her, making it a bit harder for people to overhear. “And what opportunity might that be?”

Hermione had a glint in her eye when she began. Well, she got a nibble and now to see if she could hook him. She was making a bet here and she was really hoping that her hunch on this was going to pay off. She really hoped that her memory was not playing tricks on her and that she recalled this all correctly. “Harry told me once that you and Fred were huge fans of the Marauders, correct?”

“Yes…?” George looked at her a bit worriedly, unsure where this particular conversation was going.

“And he did tell you that Sirius and Remus, you remember them, were two of the Marauders, along with his father, right?” She said this so innocently, as if she were sure that he was well aware of this one important fact upon which everything turned. She had not been able to recall if either of them had called each other by their Marauder names in front of any of the others, but if they hadn’t then she was fairly certain that this whole idea of hers would pan out quite nicely. Harry had been quite clear about how the twins had felt about the Marauders. It was amazing the sorts of things you learned on an extended camping trip.

George went wide eyed, taking a half step back from her, looking exactly like he had been hit by a bludger. “What!”

With a slight smirk to herself at having been able to call that reaction, Hermione continued, needing to make this pitch just right if she was going to be able to reel him in. “So wait… you didn’t know then that Harry’s father was Prongs? That’s why we figure his Patronus is a stag. Or that Sirius was Padfoot? Or that Remus was Moony? You never heard them call each other than? Or heard Sirius call Harry Pup or anything?”

He blinked at her a few times, his mind racing to process all of this information she was dumping on him. He obviously noticed the one name left off the list and asked cautiously, “And Wormtail? Who’s that?”

“Ugh! That would be Ron’s old rat.” She answered with some disgust.

“Scabbers?” She knew that George was aware that Pettigrew had been hiding as the rat but with all this other information it was clear that all of this was almost overloading his brain.

“Yes, Peter Pettigrew, Voldemort’s whipping boy. So there you go, the four Marauders right there. But that’s not really the important thing at the moment.” said Hermione casually.

“Not the important thing? Not the important thing? I don’t… what’s the important thing?” George was really incredulous at that statement, as if he could barely believe that Hermione could not understand the true import of what she was saying.

“The important thing that you need to be aware of right now George is the fact that right now I have the compiled notes and such from the brains behind the success of the Marauders, including the detailed plans for how they made the Marauder’s Map and a few other specialty items that they had. Now, and I really do mean this, because I love you like a brother I am willing to make you a deal. If, and I do mean if George, if you are a good Weasley and you start exerting effort at your shop and your business picks back up, then I believe that I just might be persuaded to let you borrow the notes after I am done with them.” She smiled at him, looking as innocent and harmless as she possibly could. Since she was usually the best behaved out of the whole group of friends it was far easier to manage than was probably fair to remaining twin.

George just stared at her, utterly gobsmacked by that revelation, slowly blinking, clearly trying to process what she had just said. It was apparently too many shocking bits of information dumped on him all at once for him to really cope well with it. When it finally did completely click through, he fell to his knees and prostrated himself to her over and over, repeating in a profoundly worshipful manner, “I am not worthy! I am not worthy!”

She waved her arm dismissively, as if she were the Queen herself treating this as a mere trifle. “Yes, yes… I know, I know. So, George, now that you have heard the terms, do we have a deal?”

George bounded to his feet, eyes more alive than she had seen them in a while, and grabbed her tight into a hug, kissing her cheek. “Thank you Hermione. This is amazing. Yes, we absolutely have a deal. There is no way I could turn that down. With that as a resource to help prod my ideas I can ensure that Fred’s memory will live on forever. Thank you. Thank you.”

After one last tight hug that was very Molly-esque in its strength, he headed off back towards the house with a little bit more spring in his step, more the George he had been. Hermione watched him go with a very satisfied smile on her face. That had turned out a lot better than she had hoped. Clearly better than most of the plans she, Harry and Ron came up with. Those usually ended in fire and destruction and running and screaming. No, it was a good thing those two had not been involved in this part of things. A voice from behind her said, “That was a really nice thing you did there ‘mione.”

“Well, since I got that bequest from Professor Lupin, I have been thinking about this. I mean, I just wanted to give him a decent reason to get up in the mornings and go to work. I figured that this would work to give him something. He has lost so much, so I figured that if I could give him anything to help him feel better, how could I not do so?” She turned to face Ginny with a melancholy smile on her face.

“I know. This is just another reason why I think… you’re an amazing person. That was still a wonderful thing for whatever the reason behind it. I really hope that helps to motivate him as he could use it. Do you really think it will help?” Gin seemed a bit worried about her brother and looked back towards the house.

“It should. My thinking was that he now has a goal to shoot for and a reason to work hard. That should motivate him to succeed and get out of the depression he has been in, at least for now. And once I am done with the first set of journals I will copy them and send them on to him because I think that’s for the best. I was honestly planning on doing so anyway, but I figured this way he might start moving again. I am quite interested in the knowledge contained in them as they are already interesting. Your brother, however, will be able to do who knows what amazing things with them. He thinks like them.” Hermione chuckled a little, looking towards the Burrow as well, letting her thoughts drift over the clever things the twins had invented over the time she had known them. Sure they were wrong but they were very clever. Yes, this would be a good thing.

Ginny grinned, her amber eyes practically twinkling, “Absolutely. I can’t argue with your logic. Oh Hermione, that smile… thank you so much. I think George is back, really back.”

They hugged tightly and Hermione sighed at the comfort and pleasure she felt in the redhead’s arms. What would it be like if she were able to be like this all the time? To rest in Ginny’s arms, to hold her and be held whenever she wanted. She couldn’t really wish for anything more in her life at this point except to be this girl’s girlfriend. That would be absolute heaven. Knowing the futility of her dream, aware that it would never come to pass, with some hesitation she let Ginny go. “So, don’t you need to get ready for your party or are you going to go in your grubbies?”

Ginny looked down at her work clothes that were somewhat sweaty and then grinned at the brunette, “Yeah, maybe you’re right. These really aren’t the best party clothes I have. By the way… I have to admit that you look really cute there Miss Granger.”

Hermione smirked and twirled a little, making her skirt flare a little. She replied with a touch of attitude, “Thanks. Well then get to work so I don’t outshine you, Miss Weasley.”

Ginny rolled her eyes, shaking her head at the girl and said, “Right, I’ll do my best not to disappoint. Be right back. Don’t get dirty.”

After Ginny walked off to get cleaned up and dressed, Hermione wandered over to the table where the presents were supposed to be stacked. Several brightly wrapped gifts were already there, all of which were clearly from family members from what she could see from the tags. With a little happy smile for the girl she cared deeply for and a quick look around to make doubly sure that Ginny wasn’t anywhere nearby nor looking, she pulled a package out of her expandable purse and set it down on the table. Sure she had given Ginny her present already, and that date had been a lot of fun, but this was more of a gift that they could both share in since her charm work seemed to have worked out as intended. It turned out to be a lot cooler than she had thought it would be.

She also pulled out the gift that her parents had gotten for Gin. They had come to really like the youngest Weasley as well thanks to this summer and so had insisted in getting the girl something. They figured that she would appreciate having some of the muggle things that she had enjoyed while she had stayed with them for her very own. Hermione thought that was a really sweet gift and was sure that Ginny would enjoy it, so long as her father did not try to steal anything. Sure there were no electronics but the pens and pads of paper were great for note taking and while there was no technology involved there were still some items that should please her.

“Hermione?”

She closed her eyes and sighed. Why did this have to happen? She was aware that the odds of this conversation occurring today were ridiculously high but she had hoped that things had fallen in her favor for a change. Given the way things had been with Ron lately she really did not want to do this. Did some people just never learn? “Yes Ron?”

“Can… can we talk for a little bit?” He sounded really nervous and uncomfortable, pretty much like she felt.

Against her better judgment she nodded her head and followed him as he walked a little bit farther away from the house, in the direction of the orchard. They had not gone all that far when Ron stopped and turned, facing her. He bowed his head a bit, looking somewhat abashed. “Hermione, look, I… I’m really sorry for what I said and did. That was really unfair of me. You know what a prat I can be sometimes.”

“I know you are Ron. You’re always sorry. Every time something like this happens you end up being sorry for something afterwards but that still doesn’t make things better.” replied Hermione, rubbing her forehead. She really hoped that it did not end poorly like she feared it would.

“You’re right. You’re always right. I know I screwed up, like I did after fighting with Harry, like I did over that whole stupid Goblet of Fire, like I did when we really needed to pull together last year. Ginny’s right, I am a total prat. You’re my friend Hermione and I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m really sorry that I did. I’m an idiot. I just really care about you and I don’t want to lose you. I’ve… I’ve already lost too much.” said Ron, fidgeting as he spoke, having trouble saying the last part.

“Look Ron, I am still you’re friend and that is not going to change. We have been through way too much for that to ever change. Just because I do not want to date you does not mean that our friendship is over. And… like I said before, my life is kind of complicated right now. I am going through a lot and things are changing for me. Like I told you before, what happened to me in the Manor really shook up my life and tore me apart. The whole thing made me reassess everything. At the moment, the two of us being in a romantic relationship does not seem likely.” Hermione was trying to break things to Ron gently, make it clear to him that it was over. She did not want to hurt him, even after how much he had upset her last time she had seen him. She just really did not know how to tell him about her attraction to girls. How was he going to understand?

“So what you’re saying is that if things do change with you, you’ll let me know?” Ron said hope very clear in his voice, bouncing almost like the terrier that was his Patronus.

With a sigh of long suffering, Hermione closed her eyes and lowered her head, unsure what to say, “Yes Ron, I guess if things do happen to change, and my feelings for you change, I’ll let you know. Don’t bet on it but if it happens I’ll let you know.”

“Okay. Well, I am sorry about this again. You know how I am sometimes. I’ll make sure to give you your space and not do anything like that ever again. It should be easy since I’m starting Auror training soon so I will be away a lot. I’ll write to you at school and maybe come visit you up at Hogwarts. Depends on what sort of leave they give us during training. Thanks Hermione.” He gave her a quick hug and headed off.

Hermione had more to say to Ron but he had turned and walked off with more spring in his step than he had probably approached her with. With a groan, she lowered her face to her hands. Bloody Weasley logic! Why was it that all the damn Weasleys seemed to be incapable of standing there and waiting for anyone to finish a bloody sentence when they had something already set in their heads? Were they just incapable of that? All of them did it, even Ginny, though some did it more than others. They all seemed just so sure of the truth of their way of thinking that they just stormed ahead regardless of what was in their way or what the facts actually were. It was so crazy making that it made her want to scream. She loved Ron but she could just strangle him.

She lifted her head from her hands and headed back towards the house. If she did not get her mind off of this, she was going to run over it until it got her so worked up that she blew and the she and Ron would have one of their rows again. It was going to ruin today for her and for his sister and she was not going to let Ronald Bilius Weasley ruin Ginny’s birthday. He had already come close to ruining Harry’s party with his earlier stupidity and she really didn’t want to have to explain a second incident, especially when it came down to Ron being overly Ron. Besides, Ginny wasn’t in sight so the redhead couldn’t save Ron this time when she exploded.

Harry and Luna came out of the house, smiling and talking, and she nodded to herself. There, that would do it, that gave her a direction and a good way to distract her from wanting to strangle Ron. It would be nice to see Harry again and besides, she wanted to see if she could borrow something from him. There was no way of knowing if it would be possible to so if she didn’t ask and she had to admit she really wanted this particular favor. When Harry spotted her he said something to Luna and they changed direction, heading her way. “Hermione!”

“Harry! How have you been?” She waved as she called out, moving closer to them.

“I’ve been getting better. The potions have been helping. Thank you again so much for finding the Senior Healer. He really has helped me a lot.” said Harry, with a wide grin.

“He’s helped me out as well Harry, so trust me, I understand. A lot of the residual pain from the curses are gone and I am mostly having other issues.” Hermione smiled and reached out to touch Harry to show that she was in accord with him on this point. “Things getting better with Luna I see.”

Harry blushed some and looked down as Luna grinned happily at her, bouncing a little on her toes. “Yeah, it’s getting better.”

“I’m glad you found someone you could connect to through all of this, someone who understands some of what you have gone through. Thank you Luna.”

The blond haired girl smiled at her, “You are quite welcome Hermione. Besides Harry has the most fascinating collection of wrackspurts I have ever seen. It is loads of fun… examining him.”

Harry’s blush deepened as he looked over at her kind of shocked at her bold statement, eliciting a laugh from Hermione. “She really does make me happy when she’s not trying to make me blush and I am thankful for that. We’re doing well. So, how are things on your front?”

Hermione sighed deeply, her frustration over this whole issue clear to everyone who could hear.

Harry frowned. “That good, hunh?”

Her eyes flicked over to Luna, but she was fairly certain that the girl would never say anything. Luna had kept things about what she had gone through at Shell Cottage a secret so this would be just another thing she could hold fast. There was no call to ask her to leave, even if she was Ginny’s friend. “I just… I just can’t tell her Harry. What if she freaks out? What if she hates me? And I still haven’t had the courage to tell my parents. Oh god, I can’t lose them either.”

Harry quickly took her in his arms and hugged her, giving her what comfort he could. She shook a little and then relaxed in his grip, trying to hold back the fear and possible tears that threatened to fall. Luna patted her on the shoulder, saying, “The strength will be there after the fear. Never doubt that.”

The blond excused herself and wandered off towards the punch bowl that had been filled. Harry and her stared after her for a few seconds before they shook their heads and he said, “It will be okay. Really it will. You can do this Hermione. Your parents love you and honestly they will be okay with you. How could they not? They were okay after you Oblivated them and sent them to Australia so how is this any worse than that. Besides, you are incredible. And as for… you know… Ginny… all you can do is take that chance. It will either happen between you or it won’t. Unless you use that courage all you’ll have is limbo. You ask and you will know however it turns out.”

Hermione let her breath out and it shook slightly. She was so scared of so much. This whole situation scared her because there was so much riding on it, it was completely out of her hands and it made her feel vulnerable in a way she hadn’t felt in a long while. It made her feel out of control and crazy and she could barely deal with it. “You’re right Harry. I guess I can do this. It’s just that… I’m so scared of how badly this whole thing could turn out that I almost feel like I’m back at Hogwarts waiting for the battle to start. I hate this.”

“I know, I know. It feels like it could go badly, like things could only go wrong but I doubt it that it will. At the worst you and she will still be friends. There is no doubt that your parents will continue to love you.”

“You really think so?” Hermione looked up into his green eyes looking for a spark of hope, her eyes wet with possible tears.

He just smiled and nodded, his complete confidence in this potential future shining through his eyes.

With a sigh, she lowered her face to his shoulder and let herself relax into his strong arms for a few seconds. This was just all so much. She then stood back up and looked him in the eye, smiling weakly. “Thanks Harry. I needed that.”

“My pleasure, Hermione. You know I would do anything for you.” Harry’s smile was the familiar one that she hadn’t seen in a few years. The stress was clearly fading for them.

This made her smile honestly and happily, in a way that she herself hadn’t for a while. It made her feel lighter, happier. “Thank you. Oh… that reminds me… this may sound a bit odd but can I borrow the Marauder’s Map this year.”

Harry looked at her in some confusion. “Wait, you want the Marauder’s Map?”

Hermione grinned and nodded, “Yes.”

“Why?”

“Well, I actually want to use it to make my job as Head Girl easier. Besides I have a collection of notes from Remus and I wanted to have the Map as a reference while I studied them.” explained Hermione in the briefest possible manner. She really did not want to give her ideas away because they were kind of fun.

“Wait, what notes from Remus?” Harry seemed actually confused. The more she kept going the less he was following.

“Remus left me a trunk with his old school notes in it in his Will. Among everything else in there, all the Marauder plans are in there apparently. So I was thinking that if I had the Map, I might be able to pull off a few pranks now and again, get a few butterbeers from Hogsmeade whenever I wanted some and basically make my life easier so I can focus on my studying instead of getting too caught up in all the Head Girl stuff.” Hermione grinned at him.

Harry started chuckling, clearly amused with the idea. “Oh Merlin, Hermione… that’s brilliant. Of course you can borrow it. But you have to tell me all about this. I mean it does me no good sitting in my trunk or in a drawer so feel free to use it up at the school. The most I would do with it is watch you lot wander around the school, which is not very useful and actually a bit depressing. You wanting to be a bit lazier to have more time to study, that does seem kind of useful. That is so you that it actually hurts.”

“Thank you. And you know I’ll let you look at the notes as well once I have gone through them. I am letting George take a look as well, as he could use the ideas to spur him on with his work.” Hermione was really excited about those notes and what she had seen had already shown her some interesting value. The group of them had been pretty clever.

With a quick tight hug, Harry said, “You are so bloody smart Hermione that it is scary. I have to go with Ron on this one since he has the right of it. I love it. I’ll get it to you before you guys take off for school.”

She grinned back at him. “Great. Thank you so much Harry. It really will be a lot of help. So, is Luna your girlfriend yet or are you still working towards that?”

“Hermione!” Harry was shocked by what she said.

She started laughing and the two of them headed over to the tables where the rest of the guests were gathered. Ginny had come out while they were talking wearing a really nice dress that was more playful than sexy. Both the style and the color really suited her and Hermione fought to keep from staring. It was actually a tough struggle as the neckline gave a very good view of her cleavage and kept drawing her eyes. The necklace also drew the eyes there as well, making it even more difficult to fight against that urge.

After some time socializing with a lot of the same friends they had seen back at Harry’s birthday, it was time for lunch. The food was great as always, with Mrs. Weasley having made all of Ginny’s favorite dishes. Hermione had been seated right next to Ginny, as the redhead had made the seating chart and people were sitting where she wanted them. Luna was across from her with Harry next to the blond. Hermione was a bit uncomfortable with Ron being next to her but did understand how Ginny was arranging people, and so wasn’t that upset by things. Ginny knew how she felt about him, especially after Harry’s party, but she was just trying to make sure that this party went well. She just really hoped that Ron behaved himself like he said he would. She hated that she felt this way around him and wished it could go back to the way things used to be.

Once food and then cake was gone it was present time. Harry gave her a new broom, a Firebolt like his old one. Apparently finally having full access to his family vaults now that he was of age was going to his head slightly and he was having some fun making sure people had all the gifts they could dream of. Ginny squealed and hugged him tight, getting an amused laugh out of most everybody but especially from Luna. Ron gave her a really nice broom maintenance kit, so clearly there had been some collaboration there between the two boys, which was not a surprise. There were also some new clothes and such from her parents, a few items from the shop from George, Luna gave her something that made her blush and close up the box quickly, so no one could see it. Hermione looked over at Luna who merely smiled at her, her usual slightly spacy, slightly knowing look. That certainly peaked her interest.

When she got to Hermione’s present, Ginny looked up confused and then over at the slightly bushy haired girl, “But…?”

“Just open it.” insisted Hermione, giving her a simple smile.

Ginny opened it and looked at what seemed to be a somewhat modified Wizarding Wireless set. There were also a number of little crystals sitting in a box with a number of small marks on them that were all different. Looking closer, Ginny could make out a recessed spot where it looked like one of those crystals could fit inside there. She was not sure what that was, why it was different, making her look back up at Hermione. “Uhm… what?”

“Well, remember how we talked and you wished that there was some sort of way that my CD player would work at Hogwarts…” said Hermione, trailing off to see if Ginny could extrapolate from what she was saying and figure out where she was leading her.

The girl screamed, clearly excited about the idea as she practically tackled Hermione, with Ron barely keeping her chair upright. “Really? Really? You did it? You figured out how to do it? In just a few days? Bloody Hell ‘mione, who does that?! Who bloody well does that?”

Hermione laughed as Mrs. Weasley chided Ginny about her language and she happily hugged the girl back. Harry and several others were laughing as well, amused by the younger girl’s antics. Hermione was blushing and hugged back, “Well, I had most of the idea down and such after a little bit of thought but I did get a little help on one or two things, so it really wasn’t all me.”

Hermione’s mother snickered and said, “Don’t let her fool you Ginny. She put that whole thing together and then when didn’t do what she wanted she asked that professor of yours, I think the name was Flitwick, to come look at it and he only had to slightly modify one or two charms to make it work right. He was very impressed with what she had done.”

Now everyone at the table was staring at her in some surprise and Hermione was blushing brightly by this point, looking down at her shoes, quite embarrassed by all the attention. She cleared her throat and said, “Well, you know, it really wasn’t all that complex.”

Mr. Weasley looked at her in clear amazement and asked, “How did you manage to make it work? I honestly have no idea how you could have managed to make something like that and I have tinkered with those things for years? To transfer muggle music over to magical storage so it can be played through something like this. Amazing.”

Ginny looked over at her father and said, “Dad… stop embarrassing her! You can talk to her about it later. Thank you Hermione. You copied…?”

“First one recorded.” confirmed Hermione with a cheeky grin.

That earned her another hug. After sitting back upright, Ginny clapped her hands together, rubbing them together happily, “Right, so who’s ready for a quick game of Quidditch?”


	16. Chapter 16

Sixteen

In less than two weeks it would be time to head back to King’s Cross station and get back on the train to return to Hogwarts and Hermione was busy with her pre-school studying. She had also not heard anything from Ginny recently, which was worrying her, but she had heard from Harry, receiving the Marauders Map along with a nice letter. That had caught her up on how things were going with him and how he was thinking of trying the Auror training that Minister Shacklebolt was offering those who had fought at the Battle of Hogwarts. The map was a nice gift and she was already familiar with its workings so it was going to be quite useful for her last year up at Hogwarts. She had some plans for it and was hoping to learn more about it so she could try to modify it for her use. As for the news that he was going to train as an Auror… that worried her some. She was sure he was still dealing with some issues from the last several years just like she was and she really did not want him to push himself too hard. She was worried about him. Plus she had the selfish reason of wanting him to be able to come up to the school for her birthday.

She had even heard from Ron who had again apologized for being a prat and was sorry that he had upset her. He laid everything out in that letter and there were a lot of scratched out words, misspellings and signs that Ron had gotten frustrated which meant that this had really meant something to Ron. The only way he would have written that much and gotten that frustrated was if he had actually cared about what he was writing about. Just seeing those mistakes, even before she read anything made her feel better about things. Opening a dialogue with him might not be a bad thing as she did miss him, since he was a great friend. Despite everything she did love him, just wasn’t in love with him. She hoped that when she finally was able to tell him everything that he would be able to understand the distinction.

Perdita was currently sharing a tree in the backyard with the owl that she had bought her parents a few days ago on a quick trip to the Alley for just that purpose. It was a smaller owl than her own, similar in size to Errol but seemingly far more stable and healthy looking. He also seemed to be a lot smarter. Her mother’s response to having her own owl was great as she thought he was cute and decided after a few moments appraisal that he needed to be named Cuspid for some reason. Her father only looked appraisingly at the bird and nodded in acceptance, as if he would really argue with her mother. Hermione face palmed over that and had to shake her head in despair. Only her parents would name a ruddy owl after a tooth. Sometimes they took dentistry too far.

But now here she was, sitting up in her bedroom, unable to focus on any of her school reading or any other reading for that matter, trying to summon her Gryffindor courage and do what she had needed to do for a while now, tell her parents. Her stomach was twisting in knots and her heart was pounding and this whole thing was making her a little nauseated. She needed to do this; she knew that, however, she had no idea how to go about starting that conversation. The possibilities scared her, ramping up her anxiety over the whole thing. She gave up on her pre-review of Transfigurations and set the book down on her bedside table, wiping her slightly sweaty palms on her blanket. Resting her hands on her forehead she groaned, feeling the muscles of her back tighten with worry. Between wanting to tell Ginny how she felt about her and needing to let her parents know that she was a lesbian, she just wanted to just lock herself in her room and never come out. She knew all the spells to do just that and if she sent her Patronus she was sure that Harry could bring her food on a regular basis.

She looked over at the clock on her nightstand and realized that there was still a little bit of time before dinner giving her an opening to do this. Sure it might not be the perfect time but she knew she couldn’t do it afterwards as the odds were highly in favor of her losing whatever food she had in her stomach if she did that. No it was better that she did this before eating. She looked down at her left forearm, her eyes rolling over the letters carved into her flesh. The letters were not simply thin lines as most blade cuts were but a bit wider, making the whole thing more visible and raw looking, even now after months of healing. It was almost as if the words were carved into her rather than cut. With a deep breath in she lifted her hand and traced the letters slowly, drawing strength from them, from what they now represented to her. This mark of ugliness and hate was now her talisman and thanks to it she now had the strength to do anything, to be anything so long as she had the courage to move forward. With a nod she turned her face from the letters and made up her mind. If she wanted to get this done she had better do this now while her courage was rising.

Hermione rolled to her feet and closed her eyes, centering herself. This was not too much for her. She could do this. She had faced harder challenges and overcome them. There was nothing about this that was insurmountable. Despite the lightheadedness that her rapid heartbeat was giving her, she left her room, muttering to herself a repetitive mantra, “I can do this.”

Her parents were sitting in the living room, as they were want to do, both reading as usual, her mother occasionally glancing at a kitchen timer. When she made a slight sound her mother looked up at her and saw the look of determination on her face as she moved resolutely towards them. With a slight start, she asked with some concern, “Hermione?”

“Mum, Dad… I… I need to talk to you. It’s important.” She kept herself focused on the task at hand as she wanted to make sure she didn’t flee, like she had every other time she had tried to talk to her parents about the important things in her life. At no other time in her life had she actually broached the topics of the troll, the basilisk, Voldemort and many other issues that might have lead her parents to pulling her out of Hogwarts like sane parents just might do out of concern for their daughter. Despite this topic being less apocalyptic, it was no less important. She sat on the couch, close to her usual spot on the opposite end from her mother, trying to avoid curling in defensively before anything had actually happened.

Her father closed and put down his book, the new Jeffery Archer novel that had just come out last month. He took a look at her, noting her distress and asked worriedly, “Is everything alright Hermione? You look like you are ready to bolt or scream or something.”

“Yes… no… I’m not sure yet.” Hermione sounded a touch flustered and it showed in the way her right hand kept clenching and unclenching slowly as an unconscious reflex.

Her mother moved from her usual spot on the couch, where she was leaning against an armrest, to sit alongside her daughter. “Just take a deep breath Hermione and tell us what you need to tell us. You know that you can talk to us about anything, especially now.”

Doing as she had been asked, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, the air pushing out audibly, allowed Hermione to calm her nerves ever so slightly, getting her heart to slow just a little bit, so it no longer felt like it was in her throat. She closed her eyes and then opened them again, looking right at her mother, and her right hand brushed across her left forearm. “Mom, dad… I have been trying to find some way to say this, to better explain things so you could understand where I am coming from but I can’t figure one out which is very frustrating. So I guess I’m just going to say it and that’s that which is rather suboptimal. Mum, Dad… I’m… I’m a lesbian.”

Her parents looked at her for a few moments with no real emotion on their faces, and the dragged out silence was making her nerves go crazy. They hated her, they had to. That’s why they weren’t saying anything. That’s why there was all this silence. This was it, her father was going to throw her out of the house and her life would be ruined. What was she going to do now? Her father looked at her with a hard to read expression on his face and asked in a difficult to understand tone, “Has this been going on long?”

Before she could answer her mother turned and smacked her father on the leg lightly. “Stop that. You know that wasn’t fair. This took a lot of courage for her to tell us and we should be proud of her. There is no cause for you to tease her like that.”

He smiled at his wife and then over at Hermione, “Sorry love. I didn’t mean to upset you. You were saying?”

Hermione was at a bit of a loss at that moment as to how she should proceed. What was going on? She had just said… and then her father… but what? None of this was really making any sense. Her mother put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close and said, “Would it help any if we told you that we have had our suspicions about this for a while now?”

Hermione snapped back out of her mother’s arms and stared at her in surprise, then turning towards her father who was smiling at her gently and nodding his head in affirmation. She turned her head back and forth between them a few times, her mind a blank, before she finally found her voice and asked, “How? I mean… just how? I only just figured this all out a little while ago myself. How did you two already know?”

“Oh, really? You just realized it? We thought that you had known this for at least a few months, if not longer. We had suspicions last summer if you must know. And well, your father and I have been watching you your whole life, paying attention to things because you are our daughter and we love you. We always noticed that there was just a… way about you that was slightly different and not like the other girls, and we don’t mean the you being smarter than all of them or your magic. We thought you may have grown out of it when you went to Hogwarts but then on our trips we noticed how your eyes wandered and some of the looks you gave women, especially after your fourth year. Your gaze sort of… well, I guess the best word to use would be lingered.” said her mother, taking one of Hermione’s hands, squeezing it comfortingly.

Hermione blushed and covered her face with her hands, as realization set in. Her memory tracked back to the summer trip her family had taken between her fourth and fifth year and things they had said began to fall into place with mortification beginning to take hold. “Oh no, no, please don’t tell me you are talking about that Danish girl.”

“Oh yes, that Danish girl.” Her father chuckled at that, clearly amused by that memory. “Really Hermione, you couldn’t take your eyes off her which was one level of amusing but then you couldn’t actually talk to her either. The few times you tried you were so tongue tied that it was almost painful to watch. You were normally so confident and well-spoken and then then you got around her and you just fell apart. And I honestly don’t know how, probably more of that accidental magic, but neither the girl nor her family seemed to have noticed your attention; either that or they were being very polite to you. And when she took her top off, I thought you were going to die. Your face went so red.”

“Well… uhm… she… she actually sort of reminded me of someone I had met at school that year. Someone that I can now admit that I found rather attractive.” admitted Hermione, quite embarrassed. Why was she telling her parents this? It was all so mortifying.

“Who?” asked her mom.

Hermione was silent for a moment, trying to decide if she wanted to say anything or not in response. She bit her bottom lip as she mused this point and when she finally came to a decision she whispered out the name, “Fleur.”

“Fleur? Fleur? Wait, we know that name. Hold on… you mean Fleur as in Fleur Weasley? Bill’s wife?” Her father was quite shocked by that revelation, his eyes widening in surprise.

The blush deepened and it felt like her face was on fire. She felt like she was a Second year again with her first crush, unable to meet anyone’s eyes. “Well, the two of them weren’t married at that point. She met Bill right before the Third task if I remember correctly, when the Weasleys came to visit Harry. So there clearly was no problem with that.”

“Right sorry. Clearly no problem at all. Not what we’re here to talk about though. And now that you mention it, I guess I can see the resemblance, though Fleur is more attractive.” Her father snickered.

“Daddy!” Hermione was scandalized by what her father had just said and was aghast.

Her father looked over at her with a cheeky grin and it faded as he noticed the look his wife was giving him. He seemed a bit sheepish as he turned to face his wife and said quite contritely, “Sorry dear. But yes, we… uh… we had previously noticed that you were attracted to girls.”

Her mother held one of her hands and tightened her grip, to show how she felt about her, trying to reassure her daughter. It seemed to be helping. “When it seemed like you were going to be starting to date that Ron Weasley boy we were a bit concerned because of how your letters often mentioned the fights you two had and the making up, as well as how you two did not to seem to have much if anything in common. That really did worry us as we just want you to be happy, like we are. And before we could really talk about it with you, letting you know of our concerns, we woke up in Australia a year later.”

Hermione turned and hugged her mother, her emotions ramping up even more as her worry kept going up. She knew what she had done to them was not a good thing but it had been a desperate act in an attempt to save her parents’ lives. She had been willing to lose them from anger over losing them permanently. That did not make it hurt any less or make her feel less guilty. “I am so sorry.”

“Hush sweetie, it’s okay Hermione. It all worked out in the end. You made it through that insane war alive and got us back. We all survived. Our house survived. We are still a family. At the end of the day, what more could we want? Now, at this point I think all your father and I really want for you is for our only daughter to be happy, to be with whoever it is that will make you smile.” Her mother moved a strand of hair that had fallen into Hermione’s face back behind an ear, tucking it into place. She ran her hand down her daughter’s hair, smoothing it out some, looking at her lovingly.

“So you both don’t have a problem with me being a lesbian?” Hermione had trouble believing this as she had fully expected there to be some sort of trouble. She was unaware of how much shakiness was in her voice and how much desperate hope she was conveying.

“Not at all.” said her father, the warm smile that had become usual this summer on his face, cheering her heart. “But you do know that I still reserve the right to grill any potential girlfriends as is my ancient paternal right.”

Hermione smiled and rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Her father was so convinced that he was funny despite so much evidence to the contrary. She felt so much better, like a huge weight had been lifted off her. There was only one more problem for her to face and she was hoping that she could do that, that she could actually manage to do that as well. If she were lucky it would be as easy as this had been. She sighed in release, tension flowing out of her, and lowered her head. Sometimes trying to be herself and trying to forge her own path was so hard, hurt so much. Was that the cost of her determination? Was that what her discovery about herself on the floor of Malfoy Manor going to take, constant struggling against forces arrayed against her? So be it.

This discovery of her sexuality was so liberating and so terrifying at the same time that she was not sure how to deal with it at times. Her emotions were all over the place as she was dealing with all these newly freed urges and just understood worries. She could feel her mother begin to rub her back and she made appreciative sounds in the back of her throat, arching into it a little like a cat. With a slight lean into her mother she stayed there, enjoying the closeness. Losing this was what she had been so afraid of and that it seemed like that wouldn’t happen really buoyed her heart. It made everything easier to deal with.

Her mother’s hand stilled after a few moments, resting in the small in of her back, warm and comforting. Her voice was soft and gentle as she asked, “So, when are you going to tell Ginny about all of this?”

Hermione jerked upright, eyes wide in fright and near panic, turning to face her mother, color draining from her face. How had her parents figured that out? She had been so careful, trying to make sure to act in a manner to hide her feelings from others. Oh Merlin, if they had figured it out despite all she had done then did that mean that Ginny had figured it out as well? Ginny was very smart so she would be able to figure these things out with little effort. What was she going to do? All because of this she was positive that Ginny would never talk to her. It was all over. Her friendship was over. One of the most important relationships in her life was doomed. How could anything ever be right between them again? Tears began to well up in her eyes and she started to cry, her lower lip quivering.

Her mother, noting her renewed distress, took Hermione into her arms again and pulled her close, rubbing her back some more, occasionally running a hand down her hair. Hermione was so lost to the wheel of her thoughts that she did not hear the sound of her father getting up and leaving the room. Her mother tried to soothe her some more, whispering into her ear, “It will be okay Hermione. It will. It really will. Come on baby, relax and talk to me. It’ll be okay.”

“How Mum? How? If you figured it out then in all probability she did as well. She probably hates me because of this. Hates me. Oh no… no… that’s probably why I haven’t anything from her. She’s disgusted with me. She doesn’t want to talk to me again.” moaned Hermione, tears slowly trickling down one side of her face as despair enveloped her.

“Now why would you say that? That just doesn’t make any sense. Hermione, Ginny doesn’t hate you… on the contrary, she really likes you. Anyone can tell that if they just pay attention to the both of you for a few minutes.” protested her mother, trying to get through to her distraught daughter.

Throwing her hands in the air in frustration, Hermione growled out, “There you go again with the really likes. Really likes. That’s what got me into this whole mess in the first place.”

Her mother looked at her in confusion, since things clearly did not add up. “I don’t follow.”

With a heavy sigh Hermione explained the whole process of how she had come to realize her attraction to girls and to Ginny in particular, making sure that her mother knew her pivotal part in the whole process. As she got to the end of the story she was still sniffling, a few more tears having fallen over the course of the story. She ended up saying accusingly, “And so there you go again, with really likes. Honestly, how do you know?”

Her mother hugged her close again, trying to calm her down some more, partially succeeding. “Before I go into that, why don’t we have a little spot of tea? That will help you relax some and then we can continue. I don’t want you to be upset while you don’t have to.”

Hermione nodded trying to understand what she was saying even though it did not feel true and then she noticed her father standing off to the side with the tea service waiting. She smiled up at him weakly. “Thank you Dad.”

“You’re more than welcome Hermione. Now let’s all have our tea so we can regroup and then we can get back to the conversation properly refreshed.” He set down the tray on the coffee table. There was a full set and even a few of the tasty jam biscuits that she liked. Her mother poured her a cup of tea and handed it over.

Once she sniffed it, breathing in the warm herbal aroma, she smiled. This particular cup was a good blend for helping deal with stress and needing to reconnect to her center. She had to admit that she was certainly dealing with that issue right now as this whole situation was pulling her in several different directions. She put a little honey and lemon into her tea and stirred, wanting to ensure that they were well mixed. Lifting the cup, she breathed in the fragrance and sighed, her eyes closing due to the sensual nature of the action. This simple and familiar act was helping her relax after all of the confusion this conversation had already had caused. In so many ways she wanted to go upstairs and collapse for a while but this was not really over just yet so she had to see it through to the end.

She did not rush through her cup, taking the time to enjoy the warm beverage and allowed the flavor help soothe her frayed nerves. It worked to a degree and for that she was grateful. There was a part of her that wished it could have done more but at this point she would take what she could get. She was still fairly confused about all of this but this pause was making a number of things easier to deal with. When her tea was all drunk, she set down her cup, her hands still a bit shaky and sighed, letting even more of the tension coiled in her body out. Locking eyes with her mother she asked, “So you were saying about Ginny?”

“Well, one of the things that your father and I noted was that the two of you were very close. And the two of you only seemed to grow closer as the summer progressed. What’s more, after Harry’s party, we noted that something changed with Ginny as well and from what we could tell she seemed to be looking at you slightly differently when you weren’t looking at her. It was obvious to us that she was more worried about you noticing her watching than us noticing her doing that.” relayed her mother, her smile teasing the corners of her mouth.

Hermione’s eyes widened as she tried to fit those pieces of information into any sort of pattern that made sense. There was something there but all of this and the maelstrom of emotions she was going through was making her thinking muddled and it was difficult to track things as she normally would. “Oh.”

“Yes, oh. Honestly, we did not have a problem with the two of you sharing a bed because, you are practically an adult and since you had not come out to us, we did not think there was a particular reason to separate you. We figured that if there was something more between you that you would tell us. Is there?” Her mother raised an eyebrow in question.

Hermione blushed, clearly understanding all the other questions tied into that one that were unasked and she shifted somewhat uncomfortably before she answered, “No Mum, there is nothing between us, not yet, but I… I hope there might be something at some point.” An attempt at a smile faltered on her face. “But Mum, you also need to know that while we haven’t done anything like that, Ginny has been really helpful in keeping me from having too many nightmares.”

“I was wondering why we weren’t hearing anything from you while she was staying over. I assumed you also used spells on your room to keep us from hearing anything?” Her mother again raised an eyebrow in question, her eyes piercing Hermione’s. It was not an approving look.

She swallowed heavily and nodded, looking down at her hands feeling abashed. That had not necessarily the best choice she had made lately but there had been reasons behind it. It had not just been a frivolous choice done at the spur of the moment.  “I know and I’m sorry for that however my thinking was that since I had someone there with me in case I needed anything, I wanted to give you both a break. You and dad have been wonderful with the way you have taken care of me. I know it can’t be easy having an adult daughter wake up screaming a lot of the time thanks to a nightmare, sometimes a couple of times a night.”

“No it’s not, but if I could handle you doing that when you were a baby when you were waking us for no discernible reason or you were waking us up for water or another story or to check your room for monsters than I think we can handle our daughter going through this, something that is not your fault. You’re our baby Hermione, no matter how old you get, you will always be our baby, so we want what is best for you. Just because you are having nightmares because of what you have gone through is no reason for us to be grumpy with you.” Her mother reached out, ran a hand down her hair and the side of her face, to cup Hermione’s cheek, lifting her daughter’s head so that she could look her in the face, catching her brown eyes. “Now, you said Ginny helps you with your nightmares?”

With a blush at what her mother said as well as just how Ginny helped her with her nightmares, Hermione nodded, trying not to think on it in too much detail. “Yes, she really does. All she really does Mum is hold me and make me feel safe and comforted. When I am in her arms I am able to relax faster and fall back asleep faster, two things that generally elude me, even with the help of potions. I don’t know why that is but I do.”

“And let me guess you wake up happy and contented in her arms? Just being there makes you feel better, as if all is right in the world, as if there is no better place for you to be?” asked her mother with a knowing smile, reminding Hermione a great deal of Luna and the way she looked at her when the girl knew something Hermione didn’t.

Hermione looked at her mother in surprise, blinking a few times trying to process this. She had nailed that feeling exactly. She knew that she had gotten a lot of her brains from her mother, granted not all, but even still this seemed like an even more impressive display of intuition than usual definitely on par with some of Luna’s statements. It was times like these that she wished that she better understood emotions and the like. She was pretty good but this eluded her. “Yes that is exactly how I feel. That is how I feel every time I wake up in her arms. How did you know? Do you know why you would have that feeling as well?”

Her mother smiled tenderly at her, gazing at her daughter affectionately, “I know because I have been there myself. And as for the why… well, I’m not exactly sure but my guess is that it’s probably because you love her.”

Hermione snapped her eyes upward, shock on her face, mouth wide open. Her mind seized a little trying to make sense of what she had just heard. Her mother laughed a little at that, seeing the disbelief on her daughter’s face. “Honestly Hermione, we may be old but we aren’t blind. You are clearly more than a little smitten with the girl. Surely you have noticed. So of course you would feel safer in the arms of the girl you love.”

That was simply too much for Hermione and she broke down, the pent up emotions and frustrations from the past several months exploding out of her and crashing back down upon her, burying her under their weight, the scaffolding she had used to shore up her badly wounded heart shattering into kindling. She collapsed into her mother’s arms weeping, sobs breaking her attempts to breathe easy, shaking her chest. Her mother pulled her close and started saying comfortingly, “Come now baby, it’ll be okay. Love is a good and happy thing.”

Hermione’s voice as she spoke was small and tiny, more the voice of a little girl than the young woman who had battled against terrorists and monsters, “How Mummy? How? I’m so scared. What… what if Ginny says she doesn’t care for me? What if she doesn’t… doesn’t love me back? Oh Mummy!”

Hermione just shook, sobs wracking her body. With a half collapse, she dropped into her mother’s lap, curling up into herself. Her mother looked down at her daughter worriedly and then up at her husband mouthing something. She then focused on brushing her daughter’s hair with her fingers, saying soft gentle words over and over to try and stem the tide of weeping and grief that tore through her child.

Hermione was in turmoil. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that she felt quite strongly for Ginny but for her mother to call her on it so blatantly was almost too much for her to bear. She was normally a rather private and reserved person, even though that was changing. If her parents saw it this attraction and emotion clearly then it was pretty much guaranteed that Ginny knew of it as well. She had to know. Ginny knew her better than anyone else, better than Harry even, especially now after all the time they had spent together this summer since she had changed. So if her mother could read her and her heart that easily than there was no way that her heart was hidden from Ginny. The redhead had to know how she was feeling. It was improbable for it to be any other way.

And if Ginny knew how she had felt about her but had not said anything to her about it, there really could only be one reason for it, the one reason that had always kept coming back time and time again in her life. She really wasn’t worth it, wasn’t worth anyone’s time. The kids in elementary school had seen it. They were the first ones to call her on it, making it clear that a stupid buck toothed bushy haired know it all like her would never get any friends and wasn’t worth anyone’s time or energy. And that had certainly been true all through primary school. She had been the girl all the other kids hated and picked on because she was different than them. She could be attacked with impunity.

Then she went to Hogwarts where she had hoped to fit in with people who were like her and that hadn’t happened either. A number of girls she had met didn’t like her because she was muggle born, others because of her teeth and hair and most everyone else there, both boys and girls, because of how smart she was. They had been as bad as the kids in primary school, even Ron. If it weren’t for Harry dragging Ron with him and the both of them saving her from the troll she would have died in that toilet, unmourned by anyone at the school with perhaps the exception of the professors. She might have gained her own U bend out of it though.

And then there had been Ronald and his awkward and clumsy attempts at wooing her that made her feel even more uncomfortable and self-conscious, more on display for the freak she is, especially when he decided to ignore her and start snogging Lavender. He finally turned to her she guessed as some sort of consolation, despite their fundamental incompatibility and they struggled to build something, something that kept coming apart at the seams no matter what they did to hold things together. Its failure to do anything or grow in any way only made her feel worse and less than other women until Bellatrix had gotten ahold of her. And then Bellatrix had left an indelible mark upon her.

So of course it would be just her luck that she would have developed feelings for Ginny, actual deep feelings and the girl would want nothing to do with her. She was sure that Ginny had not said anything about any of this because she was trying to show some pity and compassion to someone so clearly beneath her, someone not even worth her time, not worthy of her. The redhead had been trying to make this whole thing easy on her without creating a scene and now she had to go and muck it up like she did everything else, like she did the break in to Gringott’s. After all, why would anyone want anything to do with a stupid mudblood like her who thought she knew it all but didn’t have enough brains to keep her heart out of things that she had no business meddling in? Ginny would be better off without her, happier without her, without sullying herself with someone as terrible as her, as weak as her, as sullied as her, as dirty as her. Her sobs grew softer as her fatigue from crying dragged her down inexorably towards exhausted sleep.

Everyone else had been right all along. 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just got nominated for the Energize WIP Award in the Slash Fiction Category. Thank you whoever nominated me. Please vote from the 13th – 20th.

Seventeen

Hermione groaned slightly as she drifted slowly into consciousness, her head throbbing in time with her pulse. The best she could figure was that the headache she was feeling was due to the crying she had done as it was the only thing that made any sort of sense. She ached everywhere and was feeling a bit disoriented as her brain really did not recognize here as the last place she had been when she had fallen asleep. Everything was dark and from what she could tell it seemed like she was in her bedroom but hadn’t she been in the living room. The numbers on the digital clock clearly read that it was close to four in the morning and she had to admit that she still felt a little tired even though it was clear she had been unconscious for a minimum of at least eight hours. As she blinked, trying to make her brain wake up and work more effectively she realized that she was being held from behind.

Before she could completely freak out and panic, she looked down at the arms that held her and then over her shoulder to spot the familiar mass of hair behind her which caused her to relax. She blushed and dropped her face back into her pillow. Her mind began to whirl as she tried to make sense of all of this. What the hell was Ginny doing here? Why was she in bed with her? The last thing she recalled was freaking out because her mom was aware she loved Ginny and now for some reason Ginny was in her bed? How did that make any sort of sense anywhere?

Ginny nuzzled closer to her, pulling the bushy haired girl a bit tighter against her chest, her warm breath caressing Hermione’s neck. “Mmmmm ‘mione…”

The girl’s voice had been sleep filled and dreamy and it had almost stopped Hermione’s breathing. What was that? Was Ginny talking in her sleep? She knew the girl did that though it usually had to do with Quidditch for some reason. Did that mean though that Ginny was really into her? Just like her mother said? Was everything she thought last night wrong? Hermione’s heart skipped a beat and she groaned in frustration. Why was this happening to her? She was usually so much surer of things before she jumped to conclusions but in this case she felt like she really had no clue as to what was really going on. It seemed like she had overthought herself into a ravine.

Now that she was aware of the girl holding her, she could tell that the girl’s breathing was changing by how it felt against her back, moving from the deep steady pattern of sleep to something different. She needed to stop fidgeting so much and quiet down if she didn’t want to wake Ginny up. She had finally stilled herself hoping that Ginny’s sleep would deepen, when her stomach growled at her loudly, the sound almost as loud as Ron’s stomach got.

Hermione blushed and covered her face with her hands, deeply mortified. Ginny snorted and shifted some, pulling Hermione in a little. Hermione resisted a little and then just went with it, realizing that fighting against it might lead to the redhead waking up. Her worry was well founded when Ginny’s voice came out, a little confused and a touch worried as she asked, “Uhm… Hermione?”

“Yes?” said Hermione, a bit hesitantly, unsure of what was going on. She was still trying to wrap her head around how she had messed up last night.

“Are you okay?” It was clear that Ginny was concerned for her by her tone.

“I honestly don’t know Gin.” admitted Hermione, knowing that it was a difficult thing for her to say as there was too much going on in her head. “I was talking to my Mom and she said something to me and I just sort of crashed because of it. Why are you here?”

“Perdita flew into the house, flared up as she slowed, scaring Mum making her drop her glass and landed right in front of me, staring me right in my eyes. I took off the note, which was in your dad’s handwriting, and it said ‘We need you. Now!’ So I said bye and immediately disapparated here. Your mom quickly explained what had happened and said that you told her that you slept better when I’m with you. That explained why I was called. They were really worried.” explained Ginny.

“Well I do.” protested Hermione, as if Ginny were claiming that she didn’t sleep better with the other girl’s arms around her.

“I’m not arguing with you ‘mione. I came upstairs and you were sleeping really fitfully. I quickly changed, climbed into bed with you and you settled right down. Your mom smiled, set some food out for us, which I have under a warming charm, and let us be. Now, since you’re awake, what happened to you? Why did you freak out? You scared your parents and you scared me. We’re all worried about you.” asked Ginny softly. Hermione could hear the hint of tears in her voice and that tore at her heart.

Tears began to well up in Hermione’s eyes. This was it, this was the moment where she could say what she needed to and she just couldn’t do it, couldn’t throw away her friendship. It meant too much to her to throw away on a chance. She said softly, her voice filled with regret, “I can’t tell you.”

“Hermione, please this really did freak you parents out and my parents didn’t look happy either just before I disappeared. I just want to know what is bothering you so I can see what I can do to help. You are my best friend Hermione and I would do anything for you. Please talk to me.” pleaded Ginny.

“No Ginny I…” Her response as cut off as her stomach chose that moment to remind her yet again that it had been a very long time since lunch and that it demanded in no uncertain terms to be fed. Hermione had to face palm over that as her stomach was not playing fair.

Ginny started giggling at the sound which made Hermione begin to blush. With a nudge backwards, jostling Ginny, she chided, “Stop that!”

“My, my Miss Granger, I must admit that was a very Weasley-ish sort of sound you made, now wasn’t it.” teased Ginny. “It was almost Ron like.”

Hermione rolled over and smacked Ginny lightly on her shoulder. “Prat. There is no call for talk like that.”

Ginny still kept giggling, barely even registering the hit. With a slight huff, Hermione sat up and moved over to her desk, where the plates were, simply ignoring the other girl. The food looked good and her stomach gurgled again, making its needs known. It really had been a while since she had eaten and she needed to acquiesce to the stomachs demands. She sighed, grabbed one of the plates and offered it to Ginny, “Here. Maybe that will keep you quiet.”

“Thanks.” Ginny took the plate and smiled comfortingly at her, not even deigning to give a response.

Hermione took one for herself and once utensils were managed the girls focused on eating. This lull helped Hermione calm and center herself, getting her nerves back under some semblance of control. What was she going to do? Ginny sounded like she wanted to know the reasons behind this breakdown and she would continue to go after her, pursuing this in that dogged manner she had unless she heard something that sounded true. It was one of the qualities she liked about Ginny, most of the time. Now it was a trait that was irritating her to no end. And she also had no idea what her parents actually told Ginny about this whole breakdown or what she knew. They could have actually told her everything about their conversation, which meant that if she lied Ginny would know it. She was going into this whole thing blind and she hated doing that. She liked being well prepared and knowing what was going on and how to approach things, with multiple backups. What was she going to do in the here and now? If she told Ginny the unabridged truth she just might lose her best friend in the process but if she lied about the whole thing the same thing might happen? This was such a catch 22.

Or… or, and her mind hesitated to even suggest this, there was the even less likely possibility that could occur, that the thing that her mother was stating, that Ginny might actually like her back was true. That is she told Ginny how she felt that Ginny would feel the same.

Hermione’s food was suddenly tasteless in her mouth and a chill ran down her spine. A ball of ice burned in her stomach. Where was her supposed Gryffindor courage now? Where was the strength that let her flat out lie to Bellatrix while she was being tortured? Where was the courage that had allowed her to fight against some of the most dangerous people in Magical Britain time and time again? Could she do this? Could she take this chance and tell Ginny now, before she was actually ready? She felt disconnected to her body and almost like she was an observer of what she was doing rather than the one controlling herself.

She finished her food rather mechanistically, forkful after forkful, consuming it more as fuel than anything else, though it had tasted good earlier. Her eyes weren’t really seeing anything, they were just moving about, trying to find something, anything that helped her make sense of all of this. Nothing seemed to help and her eyes avoided Ginny as that only made the ache worse. Once she set her plate down she sighed, feeling another need making itself known. “I’ll be right back.”

Going to the bathroom gave her another quick break, away from Ginny’s presence, so she could try to pull herself together. This let her breathe deeply a few times and try to settle herself, to get her racing heart under control. Once she had finished she was able to wash her face with some cold water and stare into the mirror catching her own eyes for a few seconds. She needed to psych herself up. “Just breathe. You can do this. You love her and you want to be with her. If you want that you have to do this. Don’t let that bitch Bellatrix win.”

With a quick glance at her left arm she felt her resolve firm as her eyes took in the scar. If her vow on the cold marble floor of Malfoy Manor was ever going to mean anything she had to be true to herself in all ways, including being true to her heart. Choosing your own path in life meant taking risks, like when she changed how she dressed and her hair. She could do this, despite the fact that the whole situation panicked her almost more than anything else ever had. Her biggest worry was that the potential fallout from this, if it went wrong, could devastate her.

Unfortunately before she could go in there and say anything, Ginny ended up tagging out with her, heading off to the bathroom to take care of her own needs. That gave Hermione even more time to dwell on this, which was not really all that helpful in her mind. She went into the room and looked around. Where did she want to do this? Sitting across from Ginny or lying in the bed with her or just sitting in the bed with her or even standing? Oh Merlin… she wasn’t sure she could even figure that out let alone the words needed to tell Ginny how she felt. She was still having enough trouble staying focused on what she was planning on doing, on saying, and even then the words she could come up with were still a bit of a jumble. This extra time was more of a torture than anything else and she was at a loss for what to do about any of it.

That decision was taken out of her hands however, when Ginny came back into the room and climbed back into the bed without any hesitation. It only took her a moment to get settled again before she turned to face the rest of the room and Hermione. She held open the covers and looked at Hermione expectantly. There was no doubt as to what Ginny was being silently asking her to do.

With a slight sigh of resignation, unsure if she could even do this from up close, she stood up from the chair and climbed into the bed, lying on her side, facing the redhead. Her heart was beating rapidly, making her throat pulse and she felt weird, like her skin was sort of fluttering. This whole situation made her worry all over again and she felt her resolve starting to slip as her confidence began to fade. Ginny lowered the covers over both of them, and smiled at her gently, trying to reassure her that everything was okay.

Hermione grabbed her left arm and took a deep breath, trying to regain her focus. She could do this. She could tell Ginny what she had to tell her. She let loose her arm and took her hand out from under the covers. With a gesture and a whispered word, she turned off the light, dropping the room into near darkness, faint light slanting through the window.

“So, are you ready to tell me the reason that you freaked out so badly when you were talking to your parents?” asked Ginny, her eyes trying to make out the details in Hermione’s shaded face.

Hermione nodded, half to herself, knowing she had to get this out before her own courage failed her. She did owe Ginny this explanation and she would deal with whatever fallout she faced. It was the best she could to in order to be true to herself. “Yeah. I think I am.” She took a deep breath and looked Ginny in the eyes; she could faintly see them by the sliver of moonlight that was coming through her window and over her shoulder. They were beautiful and it would have been so very easy for her to lose herself in them if what she had to say didn’t scare her so much, if she knew that this confession would be well received. Her voice shook a little as she spoke, her nerves proving to be a bit stronger than her control, “The reason I freaked out last night might take a bit to explain. So please hear me out before you say anything. I want to be able to get this all out in one go before I can’t say anything more.”

“Okay Hermione. I promise that I will just lie here and listen to whatever you want to say. It will be alright. Honest.” There was that warmth again in her voice and it was painful for her to hear, because it could be for the last time. This could result in her never hearing that warmth, concern and compassion in that voice ever again.

Hermione closed her eyes and swallowed down that fear. If she had to see Ginny’s reaction, she wasn’t sure she would be able to say what she had to say in order to make things clear. If she had to actually watch that friendship die while she spoke it would be intolerable. Experiencing it would be hard enough, having to see Ginny’s warm brown eyes turn cold she just might collapse again. “I told my parents about me, coming out to them. My parents said they knew or at least had suspected for quite a while, which was quite a surprise. And then…” She swallowed heavily, gripping her left forearm tightly, the hold slightly painful. That bit of pain was able to give her a tangible focus, something to keep her mind on something else as she spoke. “…then she explained how they had noticed things about me for most of my life which had led them to that conclusion. They gave me some examples, some of which were rather embarrassing. After that was when I explained how I had figured out I was a lesbian. You see, how I had figured that all out was because of a comment my mum made and you.”

“Me?” blurted out Ginny, forgetting her promise briefly.

Hermione nodded, eyes still closed. “Yes Ginny, you. You see my mum mentioned that she could see why I really liked you. Now it was not just liked but _really_ liked. That made me think about the fact that people more often than not use really liked as code for having some sort of interest in, as in romantic interest in someone else. That realization made me stop and think about everything about me and you, especially how we related. Thinking about that was what made me realize that I actually did have some interest in you, interest in you in that way.”

Hermione couldn’t fight the swell of emotions she was feeling and she opened her eyes, looking at the girl she loved, trying to hide the need that she felt, that she was sure was clear in her eyes. “Do… do you remember when I told you about that dream I have been having over and over for the last couple of years, the one about that redhead, the one I have told you about even at school?”

Ginny nodded, looking a bit confused and a bit of something else that Hermione was not able to easily identify.

“You see, as I was thinking about all of that I ran through that dream again, only this time things became clear and I saw it all. I figured it all out. I know who that person is, the one who has been in my dreams. Ginny, that redhead is you.”

Ginny gasped, eyes wide, staring at Hermione I disbelief, a hand coming in front of her mouth.

Hermione nodded, assuring her in was true just through her actions. It was tough to speak but she kept going, knowing that since she had started that she had to finish. “Ever since I had that realization earlier this summer, I have been fighting this whole time, trying to keep from telling you about this, utterly afraid that I would ruin everything, afraid that I would lose you, that you would never want to see or talk to me ever again. It was what I was most afraid of and it kept me from saying anything. So when my mom told me tonight that she knew that I… uh… have strong feelings for you, I… I figured that you had probably already figured that out as well, you know, because of how well you know me. That made me think that you would hate me because of that and would never want to talk to me again. I kind of figured that was why I hadn’t heard from you for the last two weeks. I… uh… I know you probably don’t care for me like I care for you, because I mean you had Harry and he made you happy so why would you want to be with someone like me. I can live with you not fancying me back if I have to but I… I can’t lose you Gin, you mean too much to me. You are one of my best friends, the best female friend I have ever had, and I would be utterly lost without you. So when I realized all that it just collapsed in on me and I freaked out. With everything else going on and all my worry over coming out and you, I just crashed in on myself. Then I woke up here, with you.”

Hermione cried a little, the emotional weight of what she was sharing was a bit too much for her. She had just bared herself, opened her soul up to the girl she loved and hoped she would not be completely rejected. She felt raw and vulnerable, her nerves aching almost as if from the Cruciatus. It hurt to know that the odds were most likely that she would not get the girl she loved but so long as she could still be friends with her it would all work out for the best. At least she hoped that it would be so. After a few moments of her mind a whirl and trying to choke back the tide of her grief that was threatening to drag her back under, she was pulled tightly against Ginny, her head coming to rest against the crook of the other girl’s neck as if sliding into place. The girl put a free hand against the back of her head and began stroking her hair softly. Her voice was filled with emotion as she spoke, “Hey… I’m not going anywhere Hermione, especially not over this. And why would you lose me? You are my best friend, even better than Luna ever was. You helped me so much over this summer, especially after losing Fred and then with Harry being… well Harry. You have been there for me almost the entire time I have known you, being kind, caring, supportive and helpful, so why would I leave you just because of this?”

“People do. I’ve known about it from stories I’ve heard growing up and from things I have read in some of the books I bought on coming out. The other people apparently can’t deal with it or they get upset or scared or something and they just scream and leave, or just leave and never talk to them again. Families and friendships get torn apart over this. You know just as well as I do that Ron is going to freak when I finally tell him about this and I really don’t need to get yelled at right now over something that is just a part of who I am.” said Hermione softly, breathing in the warmth of Ginny’s skin. She wanted to nuzzle but was too afraid to take that chance.

“No, you don’t.” Ginny tightened her hug briefly and Hermione could swear that Ginny had just kissed her on the top of her head. But that couldn’t be right, could it? Why would Ginny do anything like that? Her mind was in a whirl as things were not lining up in her head. “You should probably wait until he stops being a complete berk before you tell him. I know I maybe a bit biased, but I am sure it might take a while, with him being mental and all, but after that everything will be fine. Even he isn’t a prat forever and you two have been mates since first year. In the end he always fixes things and comes back.”

Hermione nodded in agreement. It meshed with her thinking and everything she knew about Ron. It made her feel better to know that Ginny and she were in accord on that particular issue. Ron was a big concern as she did not want to hurt his feelings but did want to ensure that this was dealt with. Maybe Harry might have an idea on how to approach this topic with him as she was at a loss? However, it had also not escaped her notice that Ginny had still not addressed the far more important issue she had brought up, the only issue she really cared about. She bit her lip in worry and looked up at Ginny through her lashes, asking nervously, “And you’re okay with and not disgusted by the fact that I really like you and would love to be in a relationship with you?”

Ginny was laying there quietly, at first watching her and then she looked down. The moment between them stretched, the silence deepened, and Hermione worried her lip, fidgeting in Ginny’s arms, which still held her close, one hand absently stroking her hair in a calming manner like she had done earlier, though this time because of what Hermione was feeling it did not feel quite as soothing as it had before. With no answer to stop them up Hermione’s thoughts started spiraling down even more, thinking of all the possible bad reactions that could happen out of this, of all the bad thoughts that Ginny could be thinking about her, despite the fact that she said that she would not leave her over this. The fact that Ginny had not already fled or hexed her nor hit her was the only thing giving her any kind of hope for the survival of their friendship in the long run. But her heart, her heart was slowly cracking into pieces as it felt like all of her dreams were falling apart before her. Her eyes were beginning to fill with tears, as through the silence she was growing more and more convinced that her friendship with Ginny was doomed, maybe not immediately but the pain of this heartache would surely drive them apart. She was grateful that her parents were okay with her but this loss was going to sting, maybe even wound her heart keeping her from love for a while. Maybe… maybe she could find a less addictive version of Dreamless Sleep to allow her to make it through the night and other nights hence, since it was doubtful that being held in these safe arms like this would ever happen again.

The hand at the back of her head stilled and began to move away, sliding around her head. Hermione swallowed heavily, closing her eyes again. No, she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t bear to look, not when she was sure what she was going to see. Her pain was too raw and this would be salt poured upon it. This was it. This was the moment of ending.

Her head was lifted from where she had curled it down, the unexpected movement making her open her eyes in surprise until they met the warm brown eyes of Ginny, that seemed locked with her’s in some sort of firm resolution. Her lower lip began to tremble slightly at the sight. She would hold it together, she would. She would not cry until it was over and Ginny was gone. At that point she would lock herself in the bathroom and cry in the shower as she had done so many times before over Ron and other issues. Her breath hitched as very slowly and very deliberately, Ginny lowered her head, tilting it ever so slightly to the left until her lips touched Hermione’s.

Closing her eyes as tears began to fall, Hermione could barely believe this was actually happening. Was she really kissing Ginny? Was this real? It all felt so magical, so incredible, and she felt so alive, her heart pounding so hard that her chest felt like it was going to swell and burst. Nothing in her had expected or prepared for this eventuality and she was growing light headed as the pressure against her lips was still there and she fluttered her eyes closed. It was an eternity of bliss, just her lips against Ginny’s, more happiness than she had ever expected.

When Ginny eventually pulled away Hermione whimpered a little, wanting, craving more. Opening her eyes again, she saw that Ginny had a slight smirk on her face until the redhead noticed the tears streaming down Hermione’s face. The smirk was wiped away to be replaced with a look of concern. “Hey now, what are these for?”

“I was so scared you were going to say you didn’t want to be my friend anymore and then you… and we… and I’m so happy. Oh Ginny thank you. That was so wonderful. Does… does this mean that you, that I?” Hermione was excited and stumbled a bit over her words, her yearning clear in her voice.

“Hermione, breathe. It’s okay. Relax. It will be alright. Look, through everything you haven’t tried to push me or anything, being my friend as opposed to trying to push me into a relationship, which I appreciate. But I have to admit, that you have treated me better than any of my other boyfriends ever have, and that includes Harry, though that one is pretty close. So long as you don’t do something daft like leave me because you are trying to do the noble thing in the name of protecting me from a danger I would gladly face alongside you, you are clearly in the lead in this race.” Ginny winked at her and Hermione could feel herself start to blush, beginning to feel a little bit better about things. “I mean, you have taken the time to really get to know who I am and what I like as well as to introduce me to all sorts of new and wonderful things. This summer with you has been brilliant and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

“Really?” squeaked Hermione, blushing again as she looked down in embarrassment at the sound of her voice. She could just burry her head under her pillow. Why did she have to sound like an excited five year old right now? How was that even attractive to anyone?

Ginny lifted her head again, leaned in again, and kissed her again, a bit firmer this time, making Hermione’s eyes flutter more and her brain stop. As she pulled back she answered, “Yes, really.”

“I… uh… ah… guh… you have no problem kissing me? I mean, you’re okay with that?” Hermione rolled her eyes at herself. Could she have actually asked a more inane question? Do you have a problem kissing me? Honestly, she had to sound like a blithering idiot right now especially right after being kissed.

“Well, yeah. I have no problem with that at all. Besides the fact that if I actually wanted to be in a relationship with you I really need to be able to kiss you, you… ah… also aren’t the first girl I have kissed.” admitted Ginny, blushing a little herself, looking towards the ceiling.

“Oh?” Hermione put a lot of meaning into that word, demanding instant clarification from the girl.

Ginny clearly recognized that tone from having seen it in action against Ron and Harry more than once and not wanting to be targeted herself quickly answered, “Hey now, none of that. I was going to tell you everything, so threats are not needed. If you must know the whole tawdry story, it was with Luna and neither of us had started Hogwarts yet, so it was quite a while ago. We had both heard people talking about snogging, both our parents and my brothers, and were wondering about it, because they all sounded really interested in it, especially my brothers. You know Luna, after she heard about it she of course wanted to see what all the fuss was about and figured out all about it, at least as best as she could with the limited resources we had. Well, as no one else was really about but me, given that we didn’t really play with Ron much and I have to admit that I was curious as well, we… you know… tried it.”

“I see. So Ginny, share, how was snogging Luna?” teased Hermione, her heart still having trouble believing that this whole situation was real. She wanted to pinch herself but if she woke herself up she would probably find a way to hex herself for ruining a beautiful moment.

“Uhm… well it was… kind of odd actually. We had less than no clue what we were doing and so we tried to do what we had seen adults do but with no real context as to what was actually going on… well… awkward is probably the kindest way to describe the whole thing. After several different attempts in a number of different settings and everything, because you know that’s Luna, have to try in case something we were doing was wrong, we finally decided that while snogging was interesting from a theoretical standpoint it was not something to really worry about right at that moment. We just couldn’t get a handle on it. She also figured that something in the whole situation was missing but neither of us could figure out what it was.” Ginny finished the story with a slight grin and a shrug.

“That is so adorable. You two had to have been so cute. No wonder you two are so close.” Hermione was feeling a bit playful, as she felt very light and free, so much stress gone. The fact that Ginny had kissed her and said that she wanted to date her had her flying without a broom.

A scandalized Ginny blurted out, “Hermione!”

Hermione giggled some, leaned up and kissed Ginny herself, just to see if she actually could do it or to see if she would be stopped. Ginny leaned into the kiss and Hermione in response opened her mouth some, feeling a greater need for connection with the redhead. Ginny’s tongue found entrance and soon the kiss grew deeper and more passionate, the girls pulling each other closer, their breasts pushing against each other, legs hooking and pulling as well. With one hand getting tangled in the straight locks of the redhead, Hermione broke the kiss, pulled Ginny’s hair some, making the girl’s head go back just a little with a slight gasp and she began to kiss and suck lightly on Ginny’s neck.

Ginny moaned low in her throat, pulling Hermione’s head against her, the vibrations felt by both of them. Kissing her way back up, Hermione nibbled lightly on Ginny’s earlobe and sucked on it lightly, earning a slight shudder from the girl. She then slowly worked her way back to the girl’s lips, lips that she was quickly growing addicted to. Hermione felt that she could easily lose herself there and would not mind in the slightest if she did. She felt like this was one of the most unbelievable moments of her life and if it was actually a dream then she was not sure if she ever wanted to wake up. Her mind, giddy on the flood of endorphins, began nagging her, coming to realize that there was something, some unanswered question that still hovered over her, begging to be answered.

Both girls made sounds of disappointment as Hermione pulled away from the intense kissing to look Ginny in her beautiful eyes, eyes that shone in the moonlight, dazzling the girl, nearly rendering her mute. After shaking her head slightly to clear it she took a deep breath, bit her bottom lip and asked what she figured was a rather dumb question, “I know this is a less than perfect time, and this is probably a stupid question considering everything we’re doing right now, but you never really said, does this mean you want to be my girlfriend?”

Ginny chuckled, shaking her head slightly in disbelief, her eyes closing. She leaned forward, giving the girl a soft kiss on the lips in an attempt to help make her point clear. “Honestly Hermione, I thought you were the brightest witch of your age.”


	18. Chapter 18

Eighteen

The last few weeks before school were always a crazy time for Hermione. It was always filled with her studying and restudying the material to the point where she had the textbook practically memorized. However this year things were a good bit different than in past years. Between her usual studying of her school books, she was also studying Lupin’s school journals, spending time with her parents and wishing she could spend some time with Ginny making it a whirlwind of insanity.

A week before it was time to head back to school, Ron had gone off to Auror training, as he had finally admitted to her that he wanted to protect everyone who meant a lot to him and this seemed like the best way to do it. It also meant he would be gone for a while, at least until Christmas, as the initial training was intense and focused. He was going to try to get off for her birthday but wasn’t sure if that would be able to happen. There had been a small going away party for him and everyone had been proud of him. It had been the best conversation she and Ron had had since before Malfoy Manor. Thankfully they had managed to clear up a number of things but she had still not felt good enough about things to tell him about her attraction to girls, let alone her dating of Ginny.

Harry was still unsure of what to do with his life, but as he was more worried about getting better he honestly didn’t care. Between the money in the Potter family vaults and in the Black family vaults he would not have to do much of anything unless he wanted to. He had told Hermione that he was fairly certain that he did not want to become an Auror as he was sick of fighting for his life, having done far more than any seven people’s shares but the idea of helping others like that appealed to him. One the other hand, he wasn’t sure if Luna wanted him to put himself in harm’s way more than what usually happened on a regular basis and her opinion was taking on more weight with him.  All he could do at the moment was waffle. Her only suggestion was to head up to the school and speak with Headmistress McGonnagall when he had the chance. If anybody would be able to come up with a solution to his problem or give him some guidance it would be her.

And so now after all of that, here she was, standing there at King’s Cross station for yet another time, her last time as a student, hugging her mother on the first of September, crying because she was going to miss her so very much. They had grown so much closer over the summer and being apart was going to be hard. “I love you Mum.”

“I love you too Hermione. I am so proud of you for doing this. Going back to school after everything you have been through is just amazing. I know you’ll do well. You take care of yourself and Ginny, okay.” The look was very pointed and she could not miss it.

“I will Mum. I have already contacted Madame Pomfrey about tracking my improvement and I will be speaking with her tonight. And I also have Ginny looking out for me as well. We will keep track of each other. I will be fine.” said Hermione, trying not to sigh. She was doing well, healthy enough mentally that she had halved her dose of potions, since breakdowns were very uncommon now and seemed to only occur after very high stress. She could anticipate that and take action as she felt she needed.

Her father came up and hugged her, kissing her temple. “Go on before your mother tells you all that again like she did in the car, twice. I love you. Be safe. Send us a note once in a while.”

“You too.” Hermione waved and then headed towards Platform 9 ¾ wiping the few tears from her eyes. There was no doubt that she was going to miss them however now she had work to do so she had better get to it. She had gone over her instructions as Head Girl several times to make sure she would be able to follow them correctly. If she recalled everything correctly, once the train was in motion and had cleared the station she was to already be in the front car, where she had to sit due to her duties, and conduct the Prefect meeting with the Head Boy, who was a Slytherin named Cameron Boyle. She honestly could not recall anything about the boy, which was either a good or bad thing depending on a number of other factors she supposed. She knew that they would have at least a few minutes to sort themselves out before the Prefects arrived and she hoped to get a feel for him. If she was lucky he would not be cut from the same cloth as many of the other Slytherins she knew.

However the first thing she was going to do, now that she was on the platform, was look for a familiar face. She had noticed that a lot of people, both students and parents, were giving her plenty of space, some even staring, which made her feel a touch uncomfortable. Was this how Harry felt all the time when the Prophet turned people against him or had to deal with that Boy-Who-Lived twaddle? She wasn’t really anyone all that special so why were they treating her that way? All in all it was starting to creep herself out and she wasn’t really all that happy to admit that, even to herself. She spotted Luna rather easily and hustled over there, calling out excitedly, “Luna! How are you?”

“I’m fine Hermione. Oh my, you seem to be glowing. So it’s happened then. Good.” asked Luna with a smile that seemed like it knew just a little too much.

Hermione’s smile faltered a little as she was parsing her words, trying to work out their meaning. “Happened?”

“My neighbor?” prodded Luna gently, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

The blush that blazed over her face was plenty of answer, making Luna laugh happily. “I am very happy for you Hermione. You have been through a lot and deserve all the happiness you can get. Oh, if you see Ginny, tell her that I saved her a spot in our usual car will you?”

“Sure. That will be fine. Oh, speaking of things like that… how is Harry doing?” Hermione grinned knowingly at the blond.

Luna blushed a little and actually looked a bit shy, which transformed the young woman quite remarkably from her usual spacy self to someone far more grounded and here. It was a rather dramatic transformation. “He’s doing well. He didn’t come today because crowds still bother him and make him nervous, but he is getting better. He said to tell you, when you asked, that he is going to take your advice and he will be seeing both of us soon, though I suppose it would actually be all three of us now wouldn’t it?”

“I am happy for you both Luna. You really do seem to make each other happy.” said Hermione honestly, ignoring the last part of what Luna had said.

“Thank you. There is just something about Harry…” Luna trailed off as she groped for the words to describe him.

“Yes, yes there is.” replied Hermione with a grin, nodding to show she understood.

After another blush Luna smiled and said, “I must go save the seats now or someone might accidentally take them and it takes forever to explain to them that they are not their seats when they are sitting there. See you soon.”

Luna walked off and into one of the train cars and Hermione watched her fade into the crowd, smiling and shaking her head softly. Harry and Luna, who would have believed it? It seemed so unlikely on the surface and yet so likely at the same time, especially the more you thought about it. She would certainly draw him out of his head and get him moving and he couldn’t help but ground her and keep her in the here and now. They would certainly be so good for each other.

She turned and scanned the crowd, scanning everywhere for a shock of red hair, that distinctive color that she would know even in her sleep. There was no sign of that color anywhere on the platform. From what she could tell it looked like it might be yet another typical Weasley late start for the first day. She sighed and waited, hopefully they wouldn’t be too late as she wanted enough time to meet Boyle and try to get a feel for him before things started. The two of them were going to be working together all year and not knowing anything about him was not a place she liked to be. If this was going to work they had to come to some accord.

As she looked over the students again and tried to ignore the excited whispers of the first years, her thoughts drifted to the journals. It seemed that Remus had a somewhat similar note taking approach to hers, but where she had gone for breadth of knowledge he had tried to get depth as well in each subject. Within the pages there were lists of possible uses for various spells that had nothing to do with standard ideas of how people would usually use the magic, many of which were just fascinating and classic examples of out of the box thinking. The same was true with the basic potions and charms taught in each class, every subject was approached in this manner, to try and find the use no matter how obscure, including in history. That there were a few notes on goblin culture and ways of business, with the caveat that it all depended on the truth of the lesson, was fascinating. Then there were the notes about things learned outside of classes, books he had gotten into and things he had tried just to see what it would do. About halfway through the first year other handwritings joined Remus’s, which she had to assume were Sirius and James’s scrawl, each adding their own interesting points of view. There were all sorts of thought-provoking notes there as well, plus bits about those three Marauders lives. There was so much to these things that it was astounding and was expanding her own understanding of the men and magic.

She had done her first read through of her textbooks, in addition to a preliminary note taking outline of the chapters as well as made it through the first three years of journals. Each year of journals ended up with more notes in them, more plans and more security on each journal. Thankfully, there were notes on the security that she could reference and she did know the secret code phrase thanks to the Marauder’s Map. These things were amazing. No wonder the Marauders were feared pranksters, they had approached magic from several different viewpoints, each member trying to find new approaches to use common spells to do uncommon things and the more complex things got the better she could imagine them getting, each pushing the others farther and farther. Already she could see improvements in her own skills thanks to some of the suggestions made by these three. She seriously doubted that Pettigrew had made any interesting suggestions to their plans and guessed that he had been dragged along with them like a worshipful kid brother. And given how James and Sirius had acted back then… no wonder Peter had become a jealous resentful arse. There were days she just didn’t want to understand boys.

Thanks to these journals and her own memory of the twin’s catalogue of pranks, Hermione had already developed a few pranks of her own to pull while at school. That was going to be a bit… well strange if she was being honest and she certainly hoped she was able to do it right, but it just felt like the right thing for her to do. Some fun pranking to help lighten the mood of the school would be just the thing that Hogwarts needed after the dark days they had just passed through. At least that was her thought on the matter. Besides, there were some fun ideas in those journals that if done right were much more playful than cruel. That was certainly going to be her aim, to try and affect as many people as possible in as playful a manner as possible.

Her eyes had never stopped scanning the crowd as she thought and there was still no sign of Ginny anywhere or any other Weasley for that matter. She groaned, frustrated with the whole situation. This chronic tardiness was not something she approved of. How Ron was going to do well in the Aurors with that sort of background boggled her mind. Maybe they could help break him of that habit. Right now she could not dawdle any longer as she needed to get onto the train and get ready for the Prefect meeting. After one last scan of the Platform she just nodded, trying not to frown in disappointment, and headed for the Prefect Carriage. She might as well get started.

One of the first things she noticed when she entered the carriage was that it was quite lovely and well appointed. The cushions were nicer than in the rest of the train and there was definitely more space for them to stretch out in. Ginny had certainly been right, it certainly was a nice perk and would make the journey more comfortable. This was something that she could get used to. Figuring she shouldn’t tarry so she could give the best impression possible, Hermione grabbed her robe and headed off towards the bathroom to change, as she did not want to run the risk of someone coming in while she was changing. The only person who she wanted to see her in her underwear was Ginny.

Looking at herself in the mirror she smiled at her reflection. She had gotten another trim a few days ago, so her hair was still the shoulder length that she had begun sporting in Australia and it was nicely styled, so unlike how she had been. The fact that she had a bit of makeup to give her that natural look and enhance her appearance was also a change. Just that would throw people. Add to that the fact that her robe was nice and of a higher quality than she had worn before with the Head Girl badge standing out proudly and she had to admit that she presented quite the image of strength and confidence. Yes, this would work just fine.

Walking back into main room of the carriage, she was rather surprised to see that there was someone in there maneuvering their trunk into one of the overhead storage areas. He had somewhat short dark hair and was taller than her by several inches, with a medium build. Not as tall as Ron but certainly taller than Harry. He was dressed rather nicely, nicer than her even, but then again not as over the top as Malfoy usually tried for. He was obviously a pureblood of some status but was not trying to flaunt it. That seemed a rather un-Slytherin thing to do from her experience. From everything available she gathered that this had to be Boyle. She walked up and smiled in a friendly manner, “Hello. You must be Cameron Boyle.”

He turned and looked at her, his gaze raking up and down, clearly taking in everything about her appearance, his blue eyes somewhat on the dark side. The neutral look on his face ensured that there was little to read. “Hermione Granger. Yes, I am very familiar with you. It should be an interesting year working with you.”

Hermione was not exactly sure what he meant by that as his tone seemed carefully dispassionate, neither antagonistic nor favorable clearly trying to avoid starting anything. This was not something she had seen out of Slytherins before and it did engage her curiosity. “Oh and why is that?”

There was clearly a careful assessment of her before he answered, “I am fairly certain why you were made Head Girl and that is not even taking into consideration the role you have played in dealing with You-know-who. And I am certain that the reason I was chosen was the simple fact that I am a Slytherin who has not gotten into any real trouble over the years nor have I or my family had any clear connections to Death Eaters. My family has been carefully neutral in many of these issues, trying to avoid getting dragged into this whole mess. Despite not being the best student or the most popular I can see the clear value, from a message standpoint, in having a Slytherin like me in this position.”

Hermione looked thoughtful. That was an astute observation and made sense, meshing with her understanding of why the Headmistress had chosen him. Some people would be upset with a Slytherin in such a position of authority but by doing so it was obviously an attempt to get life back to normal at the school by moving past the divisiveness from before and avoiding the appearance of punishing that House. “Makes sense to me. Just to let you know, I have no problem with that. The fact that I really don’t know you tells me that you weren’t a party of Malfoy’s crowd and their stupid games. That is something I can work with. So I take it you didn’t buy into all that Pureblood stuff?”

Cameron scoffed at that, rolling his eyes. “No, not even a little. My family is well aware of what happens when you narrow down your pool of available partners, you start getting more and more idiots and defectives. Besides, almost every driven muggleborn that my family has ever met has been a bit stronger than many Purebloods in both intelligence and magical strength. So, the very idea that Purebloods are stronger merely by the fact that they are Purebloods is clearly nonsense. No my family are quite the pragmatists. We prefer to deal in what works and is grounded in experience and fact rather than in thoughts of fancy.”

“I am sure that made you lots of friends in your House.” noted Hermione dryly, a bit surprised to hear that anyone in the magical world was so practical.

“Thankfully my family has the kind of connections in both business and government needed to give me some degree of safety from most of that nonsense.” Cameron said with a smile. “I know it’s a bit crass to use those but for personal safety it doesn’t matter.”

Their conversation turned to what they needed to do in order to get ready for the Prefect meeting. Granted the letter from the Headmistress gave pretty clear details as to their duties but they still needed to divide them and figure out some sort of order. Soon the train was pulling away from the station and Hermione felt a bubble of excitement grow within her. She was going back to Hogwarts! For her last year! With Ginny as her girlfriend! How had her life managed to work out so well?

It did not take long for them to work out a patrolling schedule for the train, another task they needed completed before people arrived. It was fairly simple to divide the time and simply assign the shifts to make sure there would be no gaps in the coverage. Cameron also insisted that Hermione take the lead with the others, pointing out that Hermione was far more known and respected than he was, especially with the other Houses. There was no doubt in his mind that she would get instant respect, something he knew that he would not. They got everything done just in time for the arrival of the Prefects.

The meeting went well as they welcomed the Prefects to another year at Hogwarts and that they would really try to have as good a year as possible, despite the work they would have to do. Hermione also made a point of trying to ensure that they all tried to create unity between the Houses and to especially watch out that no one went after the Slytherins. That got a number of surprised looks and she had to clarify her point, stating that none of the returning students were Death Eaters and to judge them that way was ridiculous. To let people in other Houses take revenge for something these students did not do was not something she would stand for. No one really seemed to fuss when they noted the look in her eyes. Her reputation was formidable after all. There were no questions over their assignments either, they all seemed to take them just fine. And with that the meeting was over.

Once the door to the Carriage closed behind the last Prefect, Cameron turned to her with a slight smile and said, “I have to say I am surprised by that last bit you said there. I would have half thought that you would have been after us due to the idiocy of people like Malfoy and Parkinson.”

“Your House was put in an untenable position and that is clear. I also know that not all of the Death Eaters came from your House, they came from every House, including Gryffindor. So knowing that and knowing that I fought so that people would not be judged purely on blood, how can I limit things purely on House?” laid out Hermione logically, setting out her point of view so he could understand where she was coming from. She tried to avoid thinking about the name and what it meant to her.

Cameron looked very surprised, clearly not expecting that. “I must admit I had not expected you to have that opinion, and I know a lot of other members of my House will have trouble believing it as well. Just a word of warning, since we are working together and this does seem to be going well. There is a lot of animosity amongst the Slytherins for some of the things that happened at the battle.”

Hermione looked at him intently, raising one eyebrow. This was clearly something she needed to know in order to be able to do her job better. “Oh?”

“Yes, a good number of us are still rather upset that we were sent off with Parkinson and some of the others and not given the chance to defend our school. It painted all of us as supporters of the Death Eaters and their Master when that was not true in many if not most cases. We felt robbed of the chance to show everyone that we believed in the school and what it stood for, that the ideals it tried to teach meant something to us. Pansy opens her mouth because she’s scared and only thinks of herself and all of us get punished? How does that seem fair? So, yeah, there are a number of people who are upset and probably others holding a grudge for the expected reason.” explained Cameron, clearly irritated over this incident as well.

“Thank you for the warning. I will certainly keep my eye out for anyone trying anything. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry that happened. It wasn’t my call but that still doesn’t make it right. Still, wouldn’t you think that people might think twice coming after me, given what everyone knows about me?” Hermione just couldn’t understand some of the rationale of those people. This was one of those situations where her reputation as a hero of the War should work to dissuade people.

“That would make sense but some of my Housemates do not make any sense. They have plenty of ambition but are severely lacking in cunning. Anyway, I just thought you might want to be aware so you weren’t taken by surprise.” He shrugged noncommittally.

“And now I am. Thank you Cameron, I really appreciate it. I am going to head down to see some friends. Will you need me to be back later before our shift?” asked Hermione.

“No, don’t worry about it. I can handle most any emergency that might come up and if something serious does occur I am sure you can be found quick enough.” He smiled at her politely and she had to admit that it was a pleasant enough smile. It was not something she would have expected her to think about a Slytherin.

“Thank you. Talk to you later, Cameron.” Her voice was filled with warmth and reflected how grateful she was.

“You as well, Hermione.”

She headed out of the carriage with a little bit of a smile playing across her lips. That had gone far better than she had expected and he seemed like an interesting enough person to work with. Maybe working with a Slytherin would not be the torture that she had initially imagined it to be. Cameron was certainly nothing even remotely like the Ferret or Parkinson. Working with them as Prefect had been a real pain but so far Cameron was rather easy to get along with. This certainly did bode well for the year.

A bit farther down the train, she had to break up a slight tiff developing between a few fourth year Slytherin and Gryffindor boys. It looked like Cameron had been right about that potential problem. She had no idea what this particular fight was really about as they were reluctant to tell her anything so she split them up and sent them back to their cabins with a stern warning to both groups. She threw in her patented ‘irritated at Harry and Ron’ glare for good measure. They had stared at her wide eyed and scampered off. She just shook her head and walked on, looking for her girlfriend. It took a while but she finally found her towards the end of the train, sitting with Luna and a few other people she didn’t really know from their year. She knocked on the glass and slid the door open. “May I join you?”

Ginny’s smile was bright and happy, seeming to brighten the whole room. “Hermione! Where were you?”

“Oh, you know the front of the train since I had to go do the Head Girl thing. But I am done for now and wanted to come down and see you.” Her answering smile was also full of happiness.

Luna smiled softly and patted an open spot between her and Ginny. “Please have a seat. We kept this one open for you. I didn’t even let Ginny sit in it so it would be extra safe.”

Hermione nodded and sat down, grinning at the eccentric blond whom she had come to really care for as a friend. She had a teasing tone when she said, “Thank you very much Luna. Some people are quite considerate. Well, Ginevra, I was hoping you would be early so I could see you before I had to work, but I guess it must be a Weasley thing.”

“Ugh… don’t remind me. Mum was taking forever to get going this morning. George came by last night, as did the rest of the family and we had a big dinner to celebrate my going off to start my last year. It was a lot of fun, except when Mum got all maudlin. I wish you could have been there, if for no other reason than to help spare my sanity but Mum insisted that it was just going to be family event. Not even Harry was invited if you can believe it. It was one of the few times in years that we ate without Harry.” replied Ginny, clearly displeased with how her morning went.

“That’s different.” commented Hermione, aware that it was a change of pace for the big family. They tended to invite Harry to everything, since he was basically considered a member of the family.

“I know.” Ginny shook her head and rolling her eyes. “But I made it just before the train took off and now we are on the way to the school. Can you believe it?”

Hermione shook her head. She had been so busy that the feelings of being in a movie, of not really being in her own life began to come back. “Not really. After all the insanity of last year, all the madness that Harry, Ron and I went through, there is a lot of stuff about this that seems a touch surreal to me. Like the Head Boy, Cameron Boyle, a Slytherin, he seems like a really nice guy. I mean, I don’t even recall his name from before which I took to be a good sign but still… a nice guy. I don’t even know what that’s about.”

Luna jumped back into the conversation, “He did play the Slytherin game rather well, biding his time, doing his own thing, but last year, when he was working as a Prefect, he actually seemed to ‘punish’ people in such a way that it kept them out of the way of the Carrows and mostly safe. If you had to get caught doing something, Boyle was the Slytherin everyone wanted to be caught by. He didn’t help us with the DA but he watched out for a lot of people.”

Ginny had to nod in acknowledgement, her face looking a touch haunted, as if haunted by some of her memories. “That’s true. Last year at the school was terrible. With the Death Eaters running things and some of the worst Slytherins going after everyone it was really tough on everyone. We worked hard at keeping people safe and smuggling them out of the school when they absolutely had to go or the Carrows would get them for something permanent. It was… unpleasant. He was a good guy last year and a lot of people were actually pleased to be caught by him whenever it happened. It… helped. There are a lot of people who did not get hurt nearly as bad as they could have because Boyle was the one who caught them. He kept a lot of people out of the Medical Wing and never got caught doing it.”

Hermione shook her head, somewhat dismayed by what she was hearing. This was something Ginny had not talked about with her. She sort of understood as she had not really shared all the details of last year with her, only the highlights. The true horror of everything had been left out. She just hadn’t been able to bring herself to say those things. Maybe Ginny was the same way? Her arms started to ache, just a little as those thoughts rolled through her head. “It sounds as if last year was really rough for all of you.”

“Well yeah but it was not as bad as it was for you. You three really had a bad time of it and you guys were trying to do the nearly impossible from what I managed to get out of you three.” said Ginny, smiling wryly. “We were just trying to be brave in order to help hold things together for you three so that when you all got back things would still be in one piece. Luna, Neville and I worked really hard to keep the DA going in secret and protect as many students as possible, pooling all of our resources. The other members of the DA were invaluable as well and our numbers grew but even then it was never enough. All of it wouldn’t have been possible without people like Boyle and a few others in Slytherin who were not like Malfoy or Parkinson and the rest of their goon squad. They helped more than you know.”

Hermione shuddered at the mention of the ferret’s last name, as it brought back memories that still felt raw and just under the surface, summoned back by the topic of discussion. She felt a chill, kind of like the chill of cold marble against her back and arms. The cold ate into her muscles and made them ache, the skin tight and prickling. She had to close her eyes and bite her bottom lip to keep her focus on the here and now and to keep from losing herself to pain. Ginny apparently noticed this change in her and hugged her tight, pulling Hermione against her. “Oh ‘mione, I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned that git, especially after what we had been talking about. You’re okay.”

She lost herself in the strength of those arms and the safety they brought her. The smile she gave the redhead was a bit weak but it was there, even though it didn’t touch her eyes. The closeness and comfort that being in the girl’s arms gave was helping and so she drank that in. “It’s okay Gin. I guess the stress of the day has been a bit much.”

Ginny seemed pensive for a moment, as if appraising what was going on with her girlfriend. She then looked across at the other girls before asking, “Could you give us a moment please? It shouldn’t take too long.”

They looked at each other and then left, unsure of what was going on. Hermione noted the looks of respect on the other girls’ faces that were directed their way. Clearly Luna and Ginny had done a great deal last year based off of those looks. Once the other girls were out of the cabin and the door closed, Luna cast a few spells to grant them some privacy from eavesdroppers. Ginny then asked worriedly, “Are you okay ‘mione? Don’t get all Potter on me and answer me truthfully. Do you need to take one of your potions? Have a nap? What do you need?”

Hermione’s smile was quite sincere as she looked lovingly at the redhead. “I don’t need anything right now Ginny, but thanks. I am strong enough to deal with this. What I think I really need right now is you.”

Luna snickered and used her wand to lower the shades, giving them even more privacy from prying eyes. Once that was done she moved to the other side of the compartment and got comfortable, “Don’t mind me.”

Ginny just rolled her eyes at her friend who giggled. She shifted into a better position and took Hermione back into her arms and held her close, kissing her softly. “Well, you completely have me. I missed you ‘mione. Today couldn’t come fast enough.”

“I missed you too Gin. I really needed this. I’ve been needing you to hold me for days.” She sighed and relaxed into the strong arms that held her. It reminded her of one of her less erotic dreams, one of the ones that had made her feel loved and cherished. Ginny made her feel that way all the time just by being her so she was fairly sure that was not going to change.

“Are you sure you don’t need one of your potions?” It was clear that Ginny was on the overly worried side even for her, trying her hardest to take care of her. It was cute in its own way.

Hermione patted Ginny’s leg, not wanting to move in the embrace and possibly break contact with those arms. There were so many things about Ginny that she was attracted to but there was something about her girl’s arms that really did it for her. There were other body parts as well, but her arms were one of the most socially acceptable. “I am sure. I haven’t been using them as much so it’s fine. Just let me rest here for a while in my favorite place and I should be perfectly okay in a little while.”

“I am really happy that you two finally found each other. I was getting worried.” commented Luna as she got out a recent copy of the Quibbler.

Both girls looked at each other and blinked in surprise, having been so caught up in each other that they had almost forgotten the blond had been in there with them. They looked at Luna with questions in their eyes. Ginny was the first to speak, “You knew?”

The smile that was returned was the usual slightly out of it, all knowing Luna smile that used to drive her crazy. Now she could see it for what it was, the girl being aware of something and fairly sure the other party was unaware of it or didn’t want to know it. The girl laughed lightly, a bright sound that was as charming as it was infuriating. “Of course I knew. I knew about this a while ago actually. I was always surprised when you two never seemed to figure it out. Watching you both go after the wrong people just made me sad but I knew I couldn’t do anything to help you. You had to find each other or it wouldn’t work out in the end.”

“Wait, earlier, on the platform when you told me, you never did say how you knew when we didn’t?”

“The same way I know a lot of things Hermione, by observing. It is one of the things I am quite good at, noticing all the tiny details. When you do a lot of wildlife observations you become very used to looking for minute changes in the environment that could be signs that what you are looking for is about. There were a lot of subtle signs there if you knew what to look for and after a while it was simply impossible to miss. Your actions were practically screaming them at me. And if that weren’t enough, well, what you two just did there was a huge clue as well.” Luna shook her head in amusement, making her radish earrings bounce.

Hermione rubbed her forehead, trying to relieve the pressure that had quickly built. If only she had known any of this earlier, her happiness might have started even earlier. She thought about all the fights, all the issues she might have avoided if she had known. She turned to face Ginny, looking at the side of her face, her eyes tracing the contours as if memorizing them. Reaching out, she ran a hand down the girl’s hair. “Well, at least things worked out now.”

Ginny turned and smiled at her, leaning in to kiss the side of her head. “That they did.”


	19. Chapter 19

Nineteen

After a few hours of rest Hermione had woken up, feeling a good bit more centered. Conversation was nice and light between the three and they eventually opened the compartment up so other people could visit them. Lots of people came and saw Ginny and Luna, people in most houses excited to see them back. The sight of Hermione sitting there kind of stunned a lot of them but most got over it fairly quick, though a few had to be helped from the compartment. When the train arrived at the station, Hermione kissed Ginny before she headed back to the Prefect’s Carriage for her trunk and Perdita, making sure to help herd students, especially the younger ones out onto the platform. Her owl gave her a dirty look for leaving her alone in the compartment for the ride with only strangers for company. She was muttering apologies all the way out of the train.

Once she got her own things out of the carriage, putting her trunk with the others and Perdita with some of the other owls, she did another quick check of the train, making sure there were no stragglers inside. At the same time she knew Cameron was making sure there was no one lingering at the station or heading into Hogsmeade, fulfilling that part of their duty. She exited the train and left the platform in order to meet up with Ginny and Luna, who had been waiting for her, so she could catch the last cart to the school, since Cameron had gone on ahead.

It was a bit disconcerting being able to finally see the leathery skinned Thestral that was pulling the cart but Hermione was sure that there were now a number of students that were able to see the normally invisible creatures. She was sure that all those who had fought back in May could now see them, of that she had no doubt. There had been so much death and carnage in the last year that she was positive that the thestrals were etched in painfully sharp detail for most everyone. If they had gone far enough in school to have studied the creatures then they would even know why they could see them which might be even worse than being able to see the skeletal creatures. She closed her eyes and shook her head to clear it from that particular train of thought. If this was what she was thinking about when she had just gotten onto the carriage than maybe going back to the school was going to be harder than she thought.

Before the carriage moved on Luna moved in front of the carriage and began to pet the thestral, “Hello there again. You really did grow up to be big and strong. Thank you for waiting for us.”

Ginny cocked her head and asked, “Wait, you know this thestral?”

“Oh yes. This is the thestral that Harry met with me. He is very sweet. I wish I had some meat to give him. I will have to give you some later. Thank you for this.”

Luna climbed into the carriage and it took off moving away from the station. As they headed closer to the school up the road, Hermione lost track of the conversation going on between Luna and Ginny. They had been talking about something in the recent issue of the Quibbler and it was easy to tune something like that out. Things that seemed unlikely to exist or stories that could not have any shred of truth to them just couldn’t seem to hold her interest, so naturally her thoughts drifted back to May, to the terror and pain and grief that filled them. Seeing familiar spots she remembered other events such as when Katie Bell had been hurt by that cursed necklace, or the presence of Dementors, or even the sight of Death Eaters wandering around on what should have been safe ground. So many little moments played through her mind, reminding her of all the little horrors she had faced since she had been here. She swallowed heavily, her stomach churning as her memories grew more complete, as she was beginning to recall things in greater sensory detail.

Coming round a bend and to the gap in the trees, she was finally able to see the castle itself, all lit up, shining brightly, like a beacon of hope yet all she could think of was the way the air glowed as the protective wards rippled under the onslaught of the Death Eaters. She could remember the sight of the impacts, the way the wards fell with terrible finality. She could still see in her mind the gaps rent in the stone walls, the terrible destruction everywhere tossing rubble about like confetti, the heavy pall of smoke that cut sight and sat heavy in the lungs, the unforgettable smell of destroyed and burnt stone, and the sounds, the terrible din of the spells, of the devastation, of the wounded and dying crying out. The closer they grew to the imposing edifice of the greatest wizarding school Europe if not the world, the sharper the minutiae became, remembering some of the faces of those lost, the events that were etched forever in excruciating detail, getting so sharp that they could cut you until you bled. The voices of Ginny and Luna were distant and almost tinny as she was lost to the past, eyes only seeing the events of May playing over and over in her mind.

The touch on her leg was gentle, little more than a brush but she still started, moving away as her hand snapped her wand out in an instant, pointed straight at Ginny. Her eyes were wide and she was panting as she realized that she was afraid and far, far too ready to fight, her heart racing. The redhead was a bit shocked at the action but her features softened as she smiled comfortingly at her girlfriend, “Hermione it’s okay, we’re here. No need to hex me now is there?”

After a few tense moments, as Hermione’s eyes darted about, scanning the area, and seeing more of the past, she closed her eyes and exhaled, lowering her arm, already starting to tremble as the surge of adrenalin began to fade. She groaned as she rubbed her sore head, as it was pounding with a growing headache. Oh Merlin, she had drawn her wand on Ginny. What was going on with her? Why would she do that? She was supposed to be in control of herself, a Head Girl, and this didn’t look anything like control. She was losing it and it felt like there was nothing she could really do to stop it and that scared her. Could she really do this? Go back to the school? Walk over the spot where Voldemort died? Past the place where Harry had lain when they had all thought he had been dead and all hope had gone? Past where so many people she had known had died, day in and day out? Where their bodies had lain, both where they had fallen and where they had been placed in the Great Hall? Could she really do this? “I… uh…”

Ginny took the wand from her before Hermione dropped it and put it back where Hermione usually kept it, so it would be where her girlfriend would have easy access to it. Without turning away from her curly haired girl, Ginny said, “Luna, why don’t you go on ahead. We’ll be right there after we make a quick stop.”

“Okay. I’ll see you soon.” Luna took one more look at the two of them, compassion heavy in her eyes, and then she skipped off towards the main doors, giving lie to Hermione’s dark thoughts.

“Come on ‘mione, let’s go see Madame Pomfrey. Something is clearly wrong and we need to get you looked at before we head to the Great Hall. We’ll skip that if we have to, because I’m worried about you. This isn’t normal for you. Have you been taking your potions like you are supposed to?” They moved slowly, Ginny’s arm around her shoulder helping to support her and keep her steady as they moved into the castle.

“I… I have been trying to get stronger. I need to be stronger if I am going to be the best Head Girl possible. So I have been trying to do this on my own the last few days.” Her voice was shaky and she had her face turned towards her girlfriend, her forehead against Ginny’s shoulder. She did not want to look at those spots on the ground where she knew who had passed away there, whose blood the stone and earth had drunk. Just knowing that they were there, amongst those spots made her left arm itch and ache, and she so wanted to scratch, to try and scratch away that permanent reminder of that horror. She swallowed hard and scrunched her eyes closed.

“Hermione, listen to me. You need to stop thinking that way. It isn’t right and that kind of thinking is going to wind up hurting you. You are one of the strongest people I have ever met. Just because you are having this particular moment where your illness has overcome you, does not mean you are weak. It just means that you are human. It happens to all sick people. You should have stayed on your potions like the healer said for you to do. There is a good reason that they were prescribed after all. He knows what he is doing, right? What would you have told Harry if he had done this?” It was clear that Ginny knew that logic and reason was a far more effective tool to use when dealing with her as opposed to simply berating her.

“I would have called him a stupid git and pointed out the same things you just did.” mumbled Hermione, growing embarrassed over what she had done. Now that Ginny had held it up to her face so she could see it she only felt like a fool. She had tried to do something, to be brave and strong and yet in the end the whole thing only made her look weak and like a failure. How was that fair?

They passed into the building and away from where the rest of the traffic had gone moving towards the hospital wing, Ginny clearly leading. It took them a little bit as Hermione’s feet felt a bit like lead as she walked. She just felt drained, like someone had poured her out and left this hollowness behind that filled with each memory of pain as it passed through her making each step through the former battlefield a misery. Once they reached the doors, Ginny opened them and led Hermione inside, moving with a purpose towards the healer who was just outside of her office. Madam Pomfrey looked up in surprise at their presence, clearly not expecting students at this point in the year now that Harry was gone. “Miss Weasley? Miss Granger? What’s wrong?”

Ginny shook her head and rolled her eyes a little. “Hermione here was trying to be a big strong Head Girl and had not taken her potions for several days apparently. I noticed that she was having a little trouble on the train but she said she was just tired, playing it off as if it were nothing. Then as we were on the carriage ride up she seemed to have a lot more trouble, sort of closing off and turning inwards. I think it was one of her flashbacks or something like that. When I touched her leg, to let her know we were here, she pulled her wand on me and looked frightened.”

Madam Pomfrey clucked her tongue once disapprovingly, glancing at the girl. “Miss Granger, I thought better of you, especially after all the speeches you have heard me give Mister Potter. You know the importance of medication in the treatment of various injuries. Do you remember what Senior Healer Bainsley told you about this particular course of treatment?”

“That it would take a while, to deal with the injured nerves and the mental trauma due to the nature of the curse and the torture and because of that, I should keep taking my potions for at least six months from the start of treatment to ensure I am properly healed.” repeated Hermione, understanding the chiding she was getting. She should have known better than to argue with a healer, and a Senior Healer at that, but she had been feeling better; didn’t that mean she didn’t need the potions anymore? Most of this was just in her mind right? She knew she was strong enough to beat this, she just knew it. So why did this happen? How did any of this make any sense?

“You are having these issues because your nerves are severely overtaxed and need to heal. Their damage is what’s keeping you from fully moving past the trauma. That is what your file says and I am inclined to believe him. Hopefully you have not set yourself back with this. Well, take a seat.” As Hermione complied, Madam Pomfrey bustled off and went to a locked cabinet, unlocking it with a brief gesture of her wand. She then began looking in it for something.

Ginny sat down next to Hermione and hugged her across her shoulders, leaning in and laying a kiss on her temple, clearly not caring that Madam Pomfrey was heading back towards them and thus able to see what she was doing quite clearly. Before Hermione could say anything in protest or Madam Pomfrey could, Ginny came out with, “Madam Pomfrey, I don’t know if she would tell you this or not but Hermione still has nightmares because of this. Apparently one of the only things that help her through these is sharing a bed with me. At least, that’s what she told her mother a few weeks ago which got passed on to me when she had another issue. I figure tonight with all of this it’s going to be a bad one for her, so would it be okay with you if I stay with her tonight, to help her sleep and get her anything she might need. If I can get a note saying it is okay to stay with her as needed that might help as well.”

Hermione turned her head and looked at Ginny in surprise. This was a completely unexpected development. She had not even remotely considered that Ginny might ask something like this from the Healer. She had not even known it was possible to ask her something like that. It was true that she was planning to ask Ginny to stay the night as her thinking began to clear, but to ask Madam Pomfrey? The idea alone just froze in her head and refused to go any farther.

Madam Pomfrey just smiled at the redhead indulgently and shook her head, quite amused with the turn of the conversation as she handed Hermione a potion. As Hermione drank it down and making a face, she said, “I take it from the closeness you both are showing that the two of you are a couple now?”

“Yes. That happened a few weeks ago.” admitted Ginny, obviously not hiding anything from her. “But that is not the reason for this request.”

Hermione was not sure how to respond. Her mind was still seized due to the topic. This conversation between the two seemed so relaxed and casual that it didn’t seem real to her. Was Ginny really talking about getting together with her so nonchalantly with the nurse? Was this a thing that was really happening or was she dreaming? Were witches actually this casual about same sex relationships or was it just Madam Pomfrey? Her thoughts kept spinning, gaining no purchase.

“And you would not be doing anything untoward? She will need her sleep.” The Healer’s gaze was much sterner at this point and extremely directed.

“Madam Pomfrey, Hermione is going to sleep rather poorly tonight. I know that she doesn’t sleep well after high stress incidents or reminders of the past. Given all of this, I just want to be there tonight to hold her and calm her down when she wakes up, to tell her it is going to be alright and make her take what potions she needs. Isn’t that a better and safer plan than having her have to use a Dreamless Sleep potion? I remember you telling me that they were not overly helpful in cases like this one.” replied Ginny, not giving an inch, and clearly speaking with the voice of experience.

“You are correct. Based on all of that, I have no problems with it. If having her share your bed helps you in coping with your nightmares and these issues, Miss Granger than I am provisionally alright with it at this point. I would hesitate to have Miss Weasley completely move in with you unless you speak to the Headmistress and the Head of your House first to make sure that is okay.  That is a bit more serious a step. Now, I will want to check on you in the morning before breakfast, at least for the short term, but it should be a brief check only. And do not neglect those potions any more or you could seriously set back your healing. If I have to treat you like an errant First Year or even Mister Potter to ensure that you get better, do not doubt that I will do so.” lectured Madam Pomfrey.

“Yes Madam Pomfrey. I give you my word that I will do my best to not be stupid anymore. Besides, I am sure that Ginny will now be hounding me about it all the time, ensuring I never forget.” Hermione answered, cutting her eyes over to Ginny with a slight smile on her face to show the girl that she was okay with that notion. The potion was already making her feel a bit better and lightening her mood from where it had fallen. It was also taking care of the dull ache she had been feeling for the last few days, as if her muscles had been overly sore, as if pain had been her constant companion. That more than anything else told her what a fool she had been.

After a quick and subtle Cheering Charm, she sent the two girls on their way, along with their note. They headed towards the Great Hall, hand in hand, with Hermione feeling somewhat embarrassed over the whole situation. Ginny noticed her red cheeks and said comfortingly, “Hermione, it’s okay. You tried something to show that you were doing better and it didn’t work out like you had planned. That happens.”

“That doesn’t make me any less embarrassed by it. I thought I was going to be fine and this whole thing blew up in my face. Oh, and what are we going to do about us Ginny? Are we going to be upfront and just let everyone know or what?” Hermione was a bit worried about everything to be honest, as they had not been able to talk about that before arriving here since she had slept for a portion of the trip. Now here they were, at Hogwarts and needing to deal with this issue immediately if not sooner.

“Can we not do anything about it right now and discuss it in your room after dinner? I figure we can manage to not do anything overly obvious for one meal and then figure this out afterwards.”

“Sure Gin. We can do that.” Hermione was still under the effects of the Cheering Charms and so was quite amenable to most anything. She smiled at Ginny and swung their joined hands as they walked.

The two of them entered the Great Hall, heading for the nearest part of the Gryffindor table catching only the last of the Sorting Hat’s song. This allowed them to take their seats without being noticed by everyone except those at the head table. There were a couple of new faces up there at the table, which was to be expected but it was still a strange sight. The loss of some of the old teachers was a sad thing but the potions and the Cheering Charm were keeping her grief over that at bay. It made this whole thing a lot easier to endure.

Ginny clearly had still been paying attention to her as she reached across the table towards her and Hermione noted this and took the proffered hand. Ginny squeezed her hand tightly, trying to give her girlfriend the comfort of a hug through her hand alone. She whispered intently, “It’ll be alright.”

Hermione smiled softly, trusting in the redhead implicitly. She still felt embarrassed by her weakness but Madam Pomfrey and Ginny were both right. She was still recovering from spell damage and the psychological trauma of both the torture she had endured and then going into a major battle before she had fully healed where she had pushed her magic more than she ever had. When she thought about everything logically there was little surprise that she broke down upon her return to the castle, especially when she had done something as incredibly foolish like not take her potions like she was supposed to. Sometimes she was an idiot. Being lost to her thoughts, she applauded automatically as new first years were announced for the House not even hearing the names.

With a glance at her left arm she muttered a curse towards Bellatrix, damning the woman who still continued to haunt her daily practically four months after her death. This sliding back when she had felt like she had been getting better made her feel like she wasn’t strong, like she wouldn’t be able to live her life her own way, on her own terms, like she would be trapped by that woman forever. It made her feel helpless and weak, exactly like she had felt on that cold marble floor where her only hope was that the lies she was quickly spinning would be believed. She gripped her forearm, swallowed deeply, and shook her head, clearing her thoughts from this path. This was not what she needed to be thinking of on her first night back and certainly not at the Welcoming Feast. There were many, many pleasanter things to consider, such as all those who had survived such a horrific battle, that the school itself had survived, that she was still here when there were so many times when that could have been otherwise, that Ginny was still here, that Ginny was with her. She had to admit that the last ones made her smile.

Her eyes looked up towards a worried Ginny. She gave her girlfriend a loving smile, trying to reassure her that she was feeling better. Hermione hoped that it would ensure the redhead that she was doing well enough to get them through the meal. The last thing she wanted at this point was to be dragged back to the hospital wing thanks to an overly cautious girlfriend. It was sweet but also a touch annoying. Honestly, she was allowed to be a touch introspective.

Headmistress McGonnagall stepped up to the lectern in front of the head table and looked out over all the students. She smiled at them and then said genially, “Welcome all of you to a new year at Hogwarts. This last year has been rather trying for us all and has seen some great upheavals in our society and at this school. I do hope that with this new school year we can all return to a sense of normalcy and calm after all that pain. To that end, the Heads of your House will inform you of the various changes that have been made to the rules here at our school and we will expect you all to behave appropriately. We need to pull together right now as a school and as a society so that we can get past the dark times we have faced and move on into a new and better future. Now, as a reminder to you all, the Forbidden Forest is as the name implies, forbidden. As you can tell we have two new members of the staff joining us this year and there are plans for a third but they have not arrived yet. The first is Professor Edward Thatcher who will be teaching Muggle Studies and the other is Professor Octavia Cottington who will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts and will also be the new Head of House for Gryffindor. Please give them both a warm welcome.”

After the applause died down she continued, “Now all other truly important messages about the changes and such shall be passed to you by your Head of House later so for now, Welcome back to school and please, enjoy your feast.”

With that the food appeared on the tables and people began eating and talking. That was a lot easier to deal with than any of the other stressful events that day as it was so very normal and familiar. Hermione and Ginny just relaxed and enjoyed the excellent meal that the house elves had prepared, making sure to grab the food they wanted and trying not to overeat. Occasionally they were dragged into the conversations of those next to them but not often, as they were sitting next to a group of Fourth Years that neither were very familiar with. Soon the meal was finished, desert and everything, and the first years were ushered out by the Prefects. Hermione looked over at Ginny as she rose and said, “I need to talk to Headmistress McGonnagall really quick, just to check in. It’s a Head Girl thing. I’ll meet you in the common room in a little bit?”

“Sure. See you there.” They squeezed hands and Ginny left.

Hermione headed towards the head table and saw that Cameron was headed that way as well from the Slytherin table. She nodded towards him and they both came to a stop in front of the Headmistress who was smiling at the two of them. Headmistress McGonnagall seemed to look far better than she had the last time she saw her right after the battle. “Ah good, Mr. Boyle, Miss Granger. Now, have you both gone over your duties as outlined in your letters?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Yes Headmistress.”

“Very good. I expect the both of you to work together to try and help this school heal after the damage from last year. I do not want to see members of both your houses fighting in the hallways. You need to strive to keep the peace here as we do not want any innocent students to pay for things that were not their fault. Do you both think you are up for the task?”

At their affirmatives she continued, “Good. Be mindful of that when doling out point deductions and the like. I want discipline but not divisiveness. If I discover that your deductions are skewed you might have that privilege revoked. We will speak more on this over the weekend. I do hope that will be good for the both of you?”

Again they nodded. “Very well. Have a good night and enjoy your classes in the morning.”

Hermione was glad to be headed towards the Gryffindor tower after saying goodbye to Cameron, heading towards Ginny where she so wanted to be. This year could all be good, be better than anything she had before if she was able to juggle classes, her work as Head Girl and her need to be with Ginny. There was no real threat from anything or one hanging over their heads and that should make all the difference.  She was looking forward to such a novelty. That difference would make everything perfect. If she could just manage everything in her life and keep from being an idiot like she had been the last few days and setting her healing back then she should be good.

She smiled as she made her way upstairs towards the painting of the Fat Lady, she was fairly certain that she could make this happen. Since she now knew that Ginny was going to insist that she take her potions and Madam Pomfrey was going to check on her, at least for a little while, that should keep her from having a repeat of today’s fun. The fact that she also knew she was going to have a nightmare tonight soured things a good bit but at least she was happily aware that Ginny was going to be there to hold her and keep her safe. In her opinion that was the best possible treatment she could imagine for her nightmares. She was also aware that her mother was going to chide her for being an idiot over this incident and for the mistake of thinking that she could just neglect her potions. She knew she had to tell her, as she had promised that she would keep her appraised on her health, but it was so embarrassing. She had thought she had been doing the right thing and was being smart when clearly she was actually being thick.

She reached the painting and smiled at the woman in the toga. She looked just like she had remembered her. It was funny just how much she had missed a painting but she really had. This painting was a vital part of her memories of Hogwarts. “Good evening.”

“Good evening. How was your summer?” asked the Fat Lady, pleased to see her.

“Not that bad. It’s good to see you again. We will have to catch up later. Oh, and before I forget… Petridophyta.” Hermione gave the password and stepped into the noise of the common room. The room was filled with a lot of familiar faces that she was pleased to see as well as a number of new ones, as she had no idea who any of the first and second years were. That was something she would have to correct in the near future but she had other priorities at the moment. She smiled politely at them and waved at a few others, heading towards the stairs to the girl’s dorms. She simply wanted to go up to her room, maybe have a soak in her tub and cuddle with Ginny. That might make everything so much better. She figured that she might be up there as there was no sign of the distinctive red hair anywhere in the common room. “Miss Granger, a moment please?”

Hermione turned and looked over at Professor Cottington, who was making her way over to her. She didn’t let it show but she was kind of irritated with having to stop. Seeing Ginny was far more important than this. “Yes Professor?”

It was clear up close that the woman was in tremendous physical shape and moved in a manner that suggested controlled violence to Hermione. Even with the way that her hair was up in a braid and how her clothes clung to her it was clear that there had to be a good bit of martial arts training involved to gain that degree of bodily control and that was not something often seen in the wizarding world. Wizards were often a bit lazy, except for the athletes and to see someone this fit was an oddity. “Since we are doubtless going to be working closely together, and I have heard some wonderful things about you from other members of the staff, I was wondering if we could have tea tomorrow to discuss matters relating to this House and what we can do to keep its stellar reputation going strong. Your input would be valuable.”

“That would be fine Professor. I look forward to it. Just let me know what time you want to meet me and I will come see you.” Hermione smiled at the older woman, having no problem with agreeing to this request. It made sense as she thought about it and she had no issues at all with helping a new Head of House do what she could to keep the traditions of Gryffindor alive.

“I also spoke with Miss Weasley, briefly, as she came to me after dinner and I have no issues with her giving you what assistance she might be able to provide. If Poppy Pomfrey is convinced than so am I. I have been there myself and I know that if it is what you need to heal then it is something you should do it. Healing is always important. Good evening.” Professor Cottington nodded her head and walked away.

Hermione watched the woman walk off for a moment and then shrugged, unsure of what to make of her yet. That the woman said she knew what she had gone through and seemed to be understanding of what Ginny had proposed surprised her, especially the assertion that Professor Cottington had been there. That was an interesting fact. She sighed, too much thinking for what she had gone through today. Tea would help. Right now she just wanted to get upstairs and start unpacking, doing whatever she could to relax. That was much more pressing than being concerned over a new teacher and Head of House.

As she walked up the stairs and away from the noise to where the door to the Head Girl room was, she saw Ginny sitting there on the steps, reading something in the dim light, seemingly quite content to be waiting. The redhead looked up at her approach and smiled brightly, “Hey there ‘mione.”

“Hey Gin. Let me get inside so I can unpack and we can relax before bed. It’s too noisy downstairs.”

The doorway had a carved stone lion holding a crest of the Gryffindor coat of arms with one paw. It did look very interesting to Hermione, but that wasn’t her main concern at the moment. Right now she had to set things up so that she could get inside. She pulled out her wand, recalling the directions she had read in her Head Girl letter and once they were set in her mind, tapped the lion’s nose, eye and right ear. Once she did, she leaned down and whispered her chosen password to the door. After that was accomplished, the door swung open and allowed her and Ginny inside.

The room was a good bit larger than she had expected. It was close in size to the room she had shared with Lavender, Parvarti, Fay, and Sophie than her own room at home but it was so much nicer. The bed itself was larger and seemingly of better quality than the ones she had slept in before, with the mattress looking a touch larger and more comfortable. Due to that there was even a tiny set of stairs next to the bed which made her smirk. There was a good sized desk with a built in bookshelf against one wall that looked quite inviting as the chair had a cushion on the seat. There was easily room enough for her trunk plus there was a good sized wardrobe for her clothes, which made her instantly think of Narnia. There was a tapestry on the wall that depicted a nice garden scene with a lion and a unicorn on it as well as several faeries flitting about. The window was a good bit bigger than the windows had been in the room she had shared and there was even a nice throw rug covering parts of the wood floor. By the window there was also a small table and several comfortable chairs where she could sit and chat with someone. It was the nicest room in the girl’s wing by far and it was all hers. Both girls took this in and gushed, “Wow.”

Through the door they discovered the bathroom, which had a good sized tub plus shower and was similar in quality to the Prefects bath. This made Hermione smile broadly. She had been fond of that bath as it had a number of wonderful features that she had taken advantage of as often as she could but it would be nice not having to walk the distance to the far nicer baths to be able to use them. This was excellent luxury and would help her deal with the stress of her position. Ginny nudged her and said, “Do you see what I mean when I said the rooms would be worth it? Aren’t you glad you said yes?”

Hermione was still feeling a bit of awe when she replied, “You were not wrong. This is fabulous.”

“Come on. Let’s get your stuff put away, get us some hot chocolate and relax. Unless you want some tea or something else. I just figured that the chocolate might do you good. I figured if it was good enough for Professor Lupin it would be good for us. You’ve had a hard day and need to call it a night.”

“But I wanted to get some reading done.” protested Hermione, whining slightly.

“No. Not going to happen. I do not want Madam Pomfrey after me because of you. I like being able to stay with you and I am not going to jeopardize it just because you have this weird thing for reading. Now let’s do this and you need to promise to be a good girl for me, okay?” Ginny gave her puppy dog eyes to try and weaken Hermione’s resolve.

Hermione groaned and then slumped some in defeat. It was so unfair when Ginny did that. She was still trying to find a way to combat against the puppy dog eyes. They should be listed as an Unforgivable in her opinion. “Fine. We can do that.”

“Alright. Now you get started and I’ll be right back with my night clothes and stuff for tomorrow. Oh, what’s the password?” asked Ginny looking excited.

Hermione grinned, knowing that this would amuse her girlfriend. It certainly amused her when she had thought of it. “Well I wanted something that I know that no one else would ever guess that I would use ever, not in a million years.”

“Yeah?” Ginny sounded intrigued by the notion. “So what did you use?”

Hermione grinned at her, knowing that she would absolutely have to wait to see this reaction, “Nargles.”

Ginny started chortling which turned into full throated laughter as she made her way out the door and down the stairs. Hermione grinned, feeling warmth build within her. She really was happy.


	20. Chapter 20

Twenty

“Nnn. NNnnnnn. No. No! NO! GINNY!” Hermione screeched as she thrashed herself awake and out of the arms that held her. Her wand flew across the room and slapped into her palm and her eyes, wide with fright and worry began tracking the room looking for targets. She was panting heavily as if she had run a long way, the air difficult to hold.

“Hermione, calm down.”

Hermione started at the sound and rolled out of bed. Even before she hit the floor her wand was pointed right at the person who spoke, not even remotely wavering as her body shifted into a more defensible position.

Ginny had both her hands up in the air, trying to look as harmless as possible and was still seated in bed with the covers over her legs, her brown eyes locked on to wide panicked ones. “It’s okay ‘mione, it’s okay. Look, I’m right here, right in front of you and I’m fine. Nothing happened to me. Our enemies are all gone, we defeated them and you are safe. I am safe. Everything is okay. I promise you, you are safe, we are safe. Put down the wand and come back to bed.”

“Ginny?” Hermione’s voice was filled with disbelief and hope. Her eyes searched the girl’s face as if she could not believe her eyes that it really was the redhead who was sitting there.

“Yes ‘mione, it’s me. You’re safe. You had a nightmare, that’s all. Everything is okay. It was just a nightmare.” Ginny was keeping her voice calm and measured, trying to ignore the fact that a wand was pointed at her by a very panicked and dangerous witch.

Hermione blinked at Ginny a few times, as if she were clearing her sight and then stared at Ginny. Her mind tried to make sense of what she was seeing but her nightmare had been so vivid, so specific that she was trying to decide if Ginny was a ghost or not. When she seemed truly convinced that it really was the redhead in question she was seeing, she slumped to the floor and dropped her wand, with it bouncing off the carpeted floor slightly. Ginny was out of the bed and by her side in a flash, pulling the girl into her arms, trying to comfort her. “I have you Hermione. You’re safe Kitten. You’re safe.”

Shuddering, barely noticing what was going on, Hermione began to cry and clutched onto Ginny’s pajamas as if the girl were a lifeline. Her hands kept clenching and unclenching in the fabric, making sure that it was really there. Ginny just held her, pulling the slightly smaller girl into her lap as she shifted her position some, making sure that her legs were not in an awkward place when they both settled. There was no resistance in Hermione and so she just went with whatever the redhead wanted, curling into Ginny’s chest. Her crying turned to sobbing as Hermione realized that she had turned her wand onto the woman she loved, a curse ready on her lips. “I’m sorry, so sorry.”

“Shhh… shhhh Kitten, it’s okay ‘mione. You didn’t do anything wrong and I am perfectly alright, see? All that happened is that you had a really bad nightmare that apparently terrified you. It was nothing more than that, I swear to you. You are allowed to be a bit freaked out over something like that. I guess that something bad happened to me in it? That’s fine because it’s just a dream.” Ginny continued to soothe Hermione, rubbing her back and kissing the top of her head, doing everything she could think of to calm the girl down.

“How? How can you be okay with this? I’m crazy. I’m a crazy woman.” protested Hermione, sounding just a touch hysterical.

“You had a bad day today and haven’t been taking your potions like you should. That is all the blame you get on this one. If you do something a bit stupid then you are going to have repercussions, you know that. This is to be expected. Honestly Hermione, you think I don’t know about this? Remember who had an exciting summer filled with trying to come back from being mindraped by good old Tom Riddle. That whole damn event had really scared me and it took a lot of time, patience, and potions to get my feet back under me. Ron never really knew how difficult it all was because Mom, Dad and I were hiding it from him, and well the rest of them at the same time. I was so glad we got to see Bill that summer. I didn’t have you yet so he was the next best thing. We talked to him since he was familiar with dark objects and being cursed by them. He really helped me over some tough spots and over some spots where I did stupid things because I thought I was better or stronger when I really wasn’t. So, yeah ‘mione, I know that these things are bound to happen. And it actually took me until a bit into my second year for me to really get better, with seeing someone weekly to help deal with sorting my thoughts apart from the things he put in my head. I was a mess, which is why I kind of avoided you guys that year. I was trying to get me back together. So the reason that I am okay with this ‘mione is because I have been there. I know what this is like.” She hugged Hermione to her again and kissed her softly on her forehead and then on her lips. She rested her forehead against her girlfriends and just held them like that.

Hermione felt like the air had been knocked out of her and she felt a bit light headed. In all their talks over the years, about so many varied things, Ginny had never once shared anything about the aftermath of the possession with her and honestly she had thought, had kind of hoped really that her friend had forgotten all about it. Clearly that was not the case and it kind of horrified her. That Ginny not only remembered it all but had to work through it, her stomach churned. She nervously asked, “Are… are you okay now?”

“I’m… better. Last year was rough because there were things the Carrows did that brought back some of the worst parts of those memories. I spent a lot of nights crying as memories of Tom came back. I’m not sure there really is an okay after something like that happens to you. How can you go back to being whole and normal after you have been shattered like that? It screwed me up bad and I can’t imagine anybody not being wrecked after going through something like that. In the end I realized that all you really can do is you keep going, you keep breathing, keep moving, just so the memories don’t win but for a while there you feel completely disconnected, separate from yourself, from everything around you. It usually takes something pretty big to really bring you up out of that hole and back into the rest of the world as it seems so all encompassing. For me, that was spending time with you before and during the Quidditch World Cup. I… I really began to feel like me again and it was wonderful and a real change from how things had been. So I know kind of what you are going through, so just know you can talk to me about any of it. I may not have gone through the exact same experience you did but never doubt that I’ll understand. I will always be here for you ‘mione. Always.”

“Thank you.” whispered Hermione, tears welling up in her eyes.

“For what?”

“For everything! For being you, for being so understanding, for being so strong, for caring about me, I could go on and on. So thank you.” A few tears spilled out and trickled down her cheeks, to fall still warm onto her legs.

Ginny blushed slightly under all of that praise, and leaned back, lifting Hermione’s head so she could look into her brown eyes. “You’re welcome, but you need to accept that you are amazing as well then. There is no question in my mind at all about that. I have to admit that I have been in awe of you for almost ever. You are smart, kind, wonderful, brilliant, beautiful, dangerous, sexy, so many things that it beggars the imagination.”

Hermione blushed and lowered her face into the crook of Ginny’s shoulder, unable to deal with what she was hearing. “Stop.”

“Nope, can’t do that ‘mione, especially not when it’s all true. You just need to get used to me complimenting you.”

Hermione leaned up and kissed Ginny gently on her lips in an attempt to shut her up. “Fine, be that way.”

Ginny grinned at her girlfriend, rising to her feet, and then holding her hands down towards Hermione, offering to help her up. “I will. Now come on and get up. I know that it is not all that comfortable there. Now, do you want anything like maybe some hot chocolate or anything else before I give you a calming draught to help you get back to sleep?”

“Ginny, I don’t need a potion.” protested Hermione with a little bit of a whine. “I’ll be fine.”

Ginny just looked down at her with a look that spoke volumes. It was clear what the redhead thought of that idea.

With a frown, Hermione took Ginny’s hands and was helped to her feet. She knew that she wasn’t going to get her way in this and to a degree it was nice to know she was being taken care of, even from herself. “Fine. I can see I’m not going to win this one. Can I get some juice?”

“No problem. Just call your House Elf and let’s get this taken care of. I kind of want to get back to sleep as well.” Ginny gave a little bit of an embarrassed yawn as she said that.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione shook her head before she called out, “Topsy?”

A dainty looking House Elf appeared in the room, looking at them both wth her big eyes and asked in a slightly timid voice, “Can I helps you Miss Grangey?”

“Can we have two glasses of apple cider please Topsy?” Hermione asked politely.

The House Elf nodded and then disappeared with a pop, reappearing quickly holding the two chilled glasses. She smiled a bit bashfully as she handed them over, saying, “Can I gets you anything else Miss Grangey?”

“No thank you Topsy. I am very grateful for your help.” said Hermione with an encouraging smile.

Topsy seemed a bit confused with that response and that was clear on her face just before she disappeared.

Ginny snickered at that scene, taking a sip of her juice before asking, “Trying to save another one?”

“No. I realized that I just don’t actually know enough about House Elves to really do anything useful for them. I thought I did but I realized I was wrong. After Dobby died Harry told me that Dobby had been picking up the pieces of clothing I had been leaving out for the House Elves all around Gryffindor tower. The other Hogwarts Elves had been really upset with me because of this since they saw this as an insult to them as I was basically saying they were doing such a terrible job I wanted to get rid of them. They had stopped cleaning the tower because of it, leaving Dobby to do all of it himself, all because of me and I had no idea. Then back in May, they fought and some of them even died for us in that battle, proving that they are far braver and more deserving of our respect than I thought before. It made me realize that I honestly did not know much of anything about them. We never really covered them in Magical Creatures and there isn’t a lot written about them so I am at a loss. If I want to do anything to help them get treated better by the wizarding populace as a whole, I think I need to better understand them and not just go off what I believe. How does doing that serve the House Elves or Dobby’s memories?” said Hermione, still fired up over the ideas of S.P.E.W., though things had clearly been tempered with wisdom borne of pain.

“Okay. I have to admit that sounds like a better plan than what you had before anyway. I guess we can go down to the kitchens at some point and you can apologize to most of them down there. One of the twins told me that was where the head of the elves is if I remember correctly. That might make things right with you and them if you go see them. Now drink up. I’m still tired and you need to get your rest. We still have the first day of classes tomorrow, or it’s more likely today at this point.”

Hermione nodded and had some more of her cider, enjoying the crisp apple taste. She saved some of it for after her potion as they were notoriously bad tasting and it would be nice to wash the taste out of her mouth. As always the potion started to take effect quickly and help calm her jangled nerves even more. She yawned wide as a lassitude descended on her and Ginny took the glass from her, setting it down on her desk so it did not drop. She gave the bushy haired girl a hand getting into bed and once there, Ginny climbed in alongside her and leaned down, kissing the girl on the forehead. “Get some sleep ‘mione. I’ll hold you tonight and keep you safe.”

As Ginny put her arms around Hermione, the girl snuggled into the redhead’s arms and sleepily murmured, “Good.”

HGHGHGHGHGHGHG

Hermione had slept much better for the rest of the night and was even smiling when she woke up. She lay there in bed, being held by Ginny with a blissful grin on her face lying in the place she loved above all others. She felt inordinately pleased with herself and life that it allowed her to have the woman she loved in her bed. True they were doing no more than kissing and cuddling, occasional some groping at this point but she had very graphic dreams several times that fueled some wonderful masturbatory sessions and high hopes of a long and happy sex filled future. Well, her mind was filled with more of a life together but she had to admit that sex was definitely a part of that equation. Oh yes definitely sex, lots and lots of sex if she had her way. Ginny was sexy and she wanted to revel in that.

Need forced her from the warm and comfy bed and so with an irritated grumble she headed into the loo all the while wishing she could have stayed where she had been. Once finished she looked back in and saw that Ginny was still asleep but now was cuddling with her pillow, her freckled face kind of nuzzling where her head had lain. That made her smile. Ginny really was adorable, almost painfully so and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Well, despite the fact that she could stand there all morning daydreaming about her girlfriend there were classes that day and things she had to get done. She probably should get ready for the day and there would still be time for Ginny to get some more sleep and still get cleaned up before it was time for them to head down to breakfast. Her girlfriend had to be tired after taking care of her last night as being awoken with her screaming and freaking out couldn’t have been easy on her. It wasn’t easy on her and she was the one experiencing it. It had to be terrifying from the outside. Hermione also doubted that Ginny took a calming draught to help her get back to sleep either, choosing instead to watch over her while she slept. It was such the Weasley thing to do that she wasn’t about to question that that was what happened.

As Hermione got herself ready for the day, with the warm water of the shower pouring over her head helping to wake her up and wash away the fear from her nightmare, she thought about the uncomfortable fact that she sort of needed taking care of. It wasn’t a comforting realization for someone as strong as her, as it sort of made her feel weak, like she couldn’t take care of herself on her own, like it infantilized her. But was that really the case? From her own experience and observation she knew that her mother needed her father and vice versa in a somewhat similar manner, although the similarities could not be pushed too far, so could it simply be something like that she was feeling? She knew that she was strong and was aware that if she had to she would be able to make it through all of this trauma without any particular special issues cropping up. It would be tough to be sure but she felt certain that she could do it. With Ginny there helping here and taking care of her however, this whole mess was infinitely easier for her to face and deal with and she felt safer, allowing her to relax more. Was that what was actually going on? Was that what she really needed, that feeling of safety that Ginny’s love gave her?

It made some degree of sense the more she thought about it, lining up with what she knew of psychology. Several years of being on edge and not feeling safe, even at school, and then last year with the constant threat of discovery and danger. Then how even that little bit of safety they had managed to hold onto had been torn away when Bellatrix had gotten ahold of her. She swallowed heavily, water trickling over her face. She had to turn the temperature up to continue as he body felt a bit more chilled. The madness of Gringotts and the battle… was it really any wonder that she craved the feeling of safety that Ginny’s arms gave her like a junkie craved their next fix. It also made it clear why she might want someone to take care of her, since she had worked so hard to take care of Harry and Ron, learning everything she could for years, just so she could be able to have the right spell, the right skill for whatever they faced. Ginny was able to give her something, whether purposefully or not, that Hermione had missed for a long time and that right now she hungered for with everything in her. Ginny’s love and attention was feeding her soul.

Maybe that was why Harry felt something for Luna, because she was an outcast in a similar way to him, both saying and doing things that got them stared out and ostracized by the rest of the wizarding world. Because of that they spoke the same language and were able to communicate in a way that no one else was able to with either of them. The two of them clicked somehow and even though she was still trying to figure the slight girl out, Harry seemed to get her, even if he did not understand her at all times, intuiting what she meant and wanted in a way that was incredible. He got her and she got him. She got Ginny and Ginny got her. The two of them spoke with the same pain or at least pain that was similar enough to have a meaningful dialogue. That had to be the key.

And why hadn’t Gin ever told her about remembering everything Voldemort had done to her because of that Diary? That she recalled all of that was horrific and to not know that her best girlfriend had been holding that in this whole time… she did not like that. It was very upsetting. That Horcrux had almost killed her down in the Chamber, using her soul and life force in an attempt to reconstitute a younger version of Tom Riddle and she had to have been violated in a number of ways. Why hadn’t she ever shared that? All this time, all these years Ginny had been carrying the pain of this event while letting others think that everything was okay, that it was something forgotten, something in the past, when it was still there, under the skin. Hermione shuddered and turned up the heat in the shower yet again, needing to warm up, chilled by the very idea. Mind raped indeed.

Ginny was amazing. How could anyone not think that? This just went to show how strong the girl truly was deep in the core of her. To be able to face that nightmare and still be able to come out of it whole and able to love, Hermione was not sure she could deal with that. True she had survived quite literal torture at the hand of a Master of the craft and a lot of other things but what Ginny had gone through… and in her first year, it staggered her imagination. How did she ever get so lucky to have someone so amazing in her life, in her arms?

Walking out into the room with a towel wrapped around herself and another around her hair, Hermione looked over at the still sleeping girl. This was the girl she loved, the one who had been ignored by her brothers and more often than not been a quiet hero, fighting and not worrying about credit, similar to Harry in her own way. That made her smile. While she was not quite ready to say the words aloud there was no doubt in her mind that she absolutely loved Ginevra Molly Weasley. When she noticed the Ginny was drooling on her pillow that smile faded into a chuckle. She shook her girlfriend’s shoulder gently, “Gin, time to get up.”

Ginny mumbled something that may have been words but more than likely simply precoherent sounds strung together to create the illusion of speech.

She shook her again, this time a bit harder. “Ginny.”

There was still very little response from the redhead and her breathing was still fairly sleep deep. The girl was dead to the world. Knowing that there was not a lot of leeway available in their schedule, especially since she let Ginny sleep in, she needed to wake her up before she left the room or Ginny would never make it to breakfast or class on time. Thinking about it, she grinned and stepped to the side, out of any potential line of fire, “George, don’t do that to her!”

Ginny rolled out of bed, eyes wide, clearly looking for her brother. Hermione started laughing. She had been certain that there was an almost unconscious reaction to that sort of phrase and her hypothesis was born out. Ginny’s response was only to glare at her. “That wasn’t funny!”

“Yes it was. That was hysterical. I have to admit you have great Weasley survival skills. Now get your cute little butt in the shower. I let you sleep as late as I could. Once you’re done and dressed we’ll head down to the Great Hall for breakfast. I’ll be in the common room waiting for you.” Hermione started getting dressed, pulling on a pair of panties under her towel.

Ginny sighed, “Fine. I’m glad I brought a change up so I can get ready without having to run downstairs. I’ll see you there.”

While Ginny was in the bathroom, Hermione quickly dressed and headed downstairs with her schoolbag, ready for her first day of classes. All in all she was excited and looking forward to everything. This should be fun and she had to admit she had truly missed all of this last year. School would have been infinitely better than playing hide and seek with Snatchers. At least, she was hoping it would be fun. She wandered downstairs, trying to run through all of the things she might need for her first day that she might not actually have in her expanded bookbag, since she was unsure what her schedule would be.

There were not a lot of people down in the common room at this point, as it was still a bit on the early side for most anybody else besides her. Hermione did like to get a good start on the day and this usually helped, which was something that she knew Ginny would have to get used to. Seeing a few familiar faces she said her hellos and was heading to sit down when she saw a small figure huddled on the couch by the fire, curled up protectively. This sparked something in her mind and frowning a little, she headed over to where this particular first year was sitting there hugging their knees, head resting on their arms. When she got closer she could tell that it also looked like his robes were rumpled, as if he had slept in them. This was worrisome and seemed like something she should deal with as Head Girl. Hadn’t anybody else noticed this? She sat next to him, startling the boy a little. “Hello there, how are you today?”

He looked up at her with wide eyes, clearly a bit terrified to be seeing her, his tousled brown hair in disarray. Noting how small he was she wondered if she really had ever been that small. First year seemed so very long ago. “I… uh… I…”

“You know, it’s okay. I won’t bite you.” She said with a friendly smile, hoping that would disarm his fears. “My name’s Hermione, what’s yours?”

“Simon.” His voice was quiet, and he sort of curled into himself even more if that were possible. It was inordinately clear that he was afraid of something and she was hoping it was not her. What was going on?

“Well Simon, are you looking forward to your first day of classes?” She asked, trying to draw him into a conversation.

He nodded his head a bit hesitantly, his eyes looking for a possible exit. Was she really that terrifying?

“Do you have any idea what class you are looking forward to the most?” She asked, trying to get something, anything out of him.

He shook his head no. “I don’t know anything. I found out about magic this summer.”

It was there in his voice and in the way he had said that, especially the word magic, like it was dirty, years of being Harry’s friend let her see it for what it was. The way the boy seemed to see himself, the way he seemed to be afraid of her as a figure of authority, his appearance, it all added up with what she had learned. This boy had been poorly treated by someone, whether it was his parents or someone else she did not know but by someone. This would not stand.  

“Oh, you’re a muggle born like me? That’s wonderful. We need to show these others just how awesome we can be. There is nothing wrong with being muggle born, nothing at all. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. We’re special because the magic chose us for a reason. Tell you what Simon, I need to run down to see Madam Pomfrey for a minute before I head to breakfast. Do you want to come with me? We can keep talking and I would be happy to tell you all about Hogwarts and the magical world. That way you could get a leg up on things and maybe even learn some things your classmates don’t know.” She was hoping this ploy worked because she did not want to find some other, less kind way to get the boy to the healer. This was something she wanted checked out and preferably subtly. Nothing could have been done with Harry for a number of reasons, especially those damn blood wards, but as far as she knew Simon was not a boy of prophesy.

After a few moments of deliberation, he nodded, his eyes a bit wide, clearly nervous about all of this. She smiled and as she stood she held her hand out, silently asking for his.

Once she had his trembling hand in hers, the two of them took off, with Hermione talking about the history of the school and some of the important things for a first year to know, using her knowledge of Hogwarts: A History and her own experience to draw from. When they were down a few flights Hermione sighed as she remembered something and stopped, chiding herself for her forgetfulness, “Just a moment Simon. I forgot to do something. It won’t be a moment.”

She cast her Patronus and whispered her message to it, sending it on its way to Ginny with a flick of her wand. Simon’s eyes were even wider if that were possible, looking at her with awe as the otter swam out of sight back towards the tower. She blushed a little under the boy’s scrutiny, answering the unasked question, “Oh, that is a spell you might learn when you are older. It has a number of uses, one of which is to send messages. Every person’s form of that spell is different and mine happens to be an otter. Now before we continue let me get you sorted quickly.”

They continued on their way downstairs after she used some freshening spells on him to get the wrinkles out of his clothes and make him feel as if he had bathed and they soon found themselves in the medical wing. Simon was relaxing more in her presence, which was making her happier, as she had kept up the light hearted dialogue in an attempt to calm him, getting him to actually answer some questions about himself. She had discovered a number of things about him on their trip, that he was from Canterbury, had a younger brother and sister, enjoyed riding his bicycle and liked reading books and the library. That was useful to know but he really did little to explain his home life, he always sort of talked around it instead of about it. That just fueled her suspicions rather than assuaged them. It just created another mystery for her to solve.

Walking into the infirmary as she had been ordered, Hermione smiled when she saw the nurse. “Good Morning Madam Pomfrey.”

“Good Morning Miss Granger. And who is this with you?” Madam Pomfrey smiled, obviously pleased that Hermione showed up as she had promised.

“Madam Pomfrey this is Simon Cresswell, a first year muggle born Gryffindor. From what I can tell from his answers, he reminds me in a number of ways a little of Harry when he first arrived here.” She gave the nurse a very pointed look as she said that hoping that the woman would be able to catch the implication.

The nurse nodded, clearly understanding her look and said, “Well, it is a pleasure to meet you and if you are anything her friend Mr. Potter you are sure to be a wonderful wizard. Just don’t imitate his habit of becoming my patient several times a year. Now then… Hermione, I hope you slept well. Let’s get you your potions and send you on your way. Oh, Mr. Cresswell, seeing as you are new to magic, would you like to see how a diagnostic spell is cast? If you are anything like Mr. Potter and Miss Granger here than you probably have not seen much magic preformed before getting on to the train or arriving here.”

The boy nodded, eyes wide, “You can check someone out with a single spell?”

“Yes, there really is not much to it. It’s just like this.” She cast her diagnostic spell and smiled.

“That’s pretty neat.”

“Yes it is. Now why don’t you both head off to breakfast? Oh Miss Granger, could you come back at lunch, for your next treatment. We can talk more then. You have far more interesting company at the moment.” teased the woman.

Since she was aware that Simon could not see her face, Hermione did not have to school her features when she saw Madam Pomfrey nod slightly. She was aware that she looked slightly distraught and she tried to pull herself together. “I’ll see you then. Good bye Madam Pomfrey.”

The two of them headed to the Great Hall, talking about inconsequential things, Hermione trying to keep things light as her own mind worked over what she had learned. That Madam Pomfrey had seemingly confirmed her hypothesis about Simon was disturbing and really upset her. There were a number of times where she really preferred to be wrong and this was certainly one of them. Once inside the doors, Hermione could see Ginny sitting at the Gryffindor table with Luna and she leaned down to talk to the first year. “So Simon, did you want to go sit further down the table with the other first years or would you rather hang out with my friends?”

After a few moments of consideration, he said hopefully, “Can I sit with you? I’m not sure they like me.”

“What’s not to like? You seem like a great kid to me?” She smiled brightly, having already decided that she did like him. He seemed earnest and nice, reminding her a little of Neville now that she thought about it, only far less clumsy.

“What’s this Hermione? Cheating on me already?” asked Ginny with a big grin as Hermione walked up.

Knowing that they had decided to not tell anyone directly about their relationship status but just be themselves and let people figure it out through their actions, Hermione went up and kissed her briefly on the cheek. “Absolutely. Simon here is such a charmer he stole my heart away at a glance. How could I resist him?”

Simon blushed and looked down at the table, unsure what to say to that. Luna smiled at this interplay and said, “Don’t tease your paramour Hermione, it’s not nice. He wouldn’t like it.”

Hermione chuckled a little and then made introductions, “Simon this is Ginny, the Captain of our House Quidditch team. If you don’t know what that is just ask her and she can teach you all about it. And this other young woman is Luna, from Ravenclaw. She is a journalist.”

“Uhm… Hermione?” Simon seemed unsure of himself as he leaned in and whispered to her.

“Yes Simon?”

“Is… is Ginny your girlfriend?” He was clearly nervous as he asked that, whispering the last word even quieter than the rest of the sentence.

“Yes she is. Is that a problem?” She replied in a normal tone of voice.

He shook his head vehemently no which earned him a smile. She gave him a hug, saying, “Don’t worry about it Simon. You’re alright by me. Why don’t you eat, because you’ll need your energy for your first day of classes. Magic does use up energy, especially when you are first learning how to use it.”

The group ate and talked, keeping things nice and light. Professor Flitwick came over and gave Luna her schedule, saying hello to the others. The girls took that time to introduce Simon to the diminutive professor. A short while later Professor Cottington came up with the schedules and handed them out. “Mr. Cresswell, these are some interesting friends you have made.”

He blushed and looked down at the table. “Yes ma’am.”

“While I know that these are some wonderful ladies to know, don’t forget about your year mates. While certainly not nearly as exalted as these three they will be here the rest of your time at Hogwarts. It might be a good thing to make friends there as well.” This was said kindly, with her hand resting on his shoulder.

As the Head of House and new DADA professor walked away, Luna turned to Simon and said, “Don’t let the wrackspurts gather and muddle your thinking Simon. You are a nice young man and still will be even if the veil is pulled away and people can really see.”

The other three looked at Luna with some confusion on their faces as she had another bite of melon from her plate. With her mouth full, she looked back at them with her usual innocent, dreamy expression and said, “What?” 


	21. Chapter 21

Twenty-one

The next two days were busy with everyone getting used to being in classes and following a schedule again. That was a shock for some and there were a couple of stragglers to various classes and meals. Hermione and Ginny did fine mostly because Hermione was quite prepared for this and had already been putting herself on the schools schedule since the start of the week. The new professors seemed quite competent and the biggest surprise was that the Muggle Studies Professor was actually a Muggle born and thus was actually aware of current affairs and inventions unlike Professor Burbage. It was rather stunning and exciting to hear about inventions that came after the late forties and early fifties. Hermione was practically giddy to hear him talk about the Audio Player, a device which allowed you to carry around digitally stored music. Hermione could only grin as the Professor had to talk disparagingly about the dearth of information about recent events and told the class that he would correct that before they took their NEWTS. There were a number of slightly panicked faces when they left the classroom but Ginny and Hermione were not among them. Otherwise it seemed to be classes as normal at Hogwarts, with Headmistress McGonnagall still teaching Transfiguration until a more permanent teacher could be found to take over.

It felt a good bit surreal to Hermione to even be there at the school, attending classes again with everyone else, but she was starting to cope with all of that. Her potions were helping her muddle through all the stress and the presence of Ginny was a great assistance to her as well. Things were a bit tough just being in the building, already there were a couple of times during the day where she had to go into an unused classroom to compose herself, especially after the first time she walked past the point where Lupin and Tonks had died. After that she had needed some of her potion and a hug from Ginny to even be able to move on from the room she had been hiding in and she had still been trembling in class a half an hour later.

Ginny was being very understanding about all of this, understanding why dealing with this issue was harder for Hermione than it was for her, why walking these halls was hitting her more deeply. Ginny tended to flat out avoid the area where Fred had died so apparently she could easily imagine the pain that Hermione was feeling being anywhere within the school, given how it had to have become clear to her that both she and to a larger extent Harry seemed to take a degree of responsibility for not solving the Horcrux problem sooner. Hermione seemed to carry the weight of the dead like Harry, only for different reasons. She felt somewhat responsible for not solving things faster. Madam Pomfrey kept checking on Hermione every morning, making sure things were fine but Ginny still seemed to worry over her, especially after she had another nightmare the second night there thanks to the conversation with Madam Pomfrey about Simon.

It turned out that, according to the results of the diagnostic scan, Simon had indeed been abused, just not to the same degree of magnitude that Harry had been. Apparently there were signs of severe beatings that were not that old and even a signs of a broken arm, a few cracked ribs, and some sort of head trauma that worried the Nurse. There were no obvious signs of malnutrition but he was small for his age and that was bothering her as well as there might be something. This was something both women wanted to deal with but they needed to figure out how to do so in a way that would neither upset Simon nor cause a major incident to occur. They agreed to discuss it some more the next week in order to come up with the beginnings of a plan, as Madam Pomfrey seemed well aware that Hermione had some sort of vested interest in the boy and she was of age and could take charge of the Simon if necessary. They both figured that there was no need to rush about at this point as Simon would be safe because he was at the school and away from any sort of abuse. What they did afterwards would depend on a number of factors.

Hermione was feeling somewhat better overall by Friday night, even with these sources of added stress. She had gotten more used to the sight of the school and grounds, beginning the process of moving past some of the memories that specific areas gave her. She and Ginny had also helped Simon begin the process of making friends with his year mates by having gotten some of the more fun Wheezes from George for the boy to share. He was still very shy but that little nudge from them seemed to help. The boy still clung to her as if she was some sort of lifeline, but he was getting more attached to the others in his year, both some of the boys and girls, which relieved her tension.

Saturday morning she awoke with a smile, snuggled in Ginny’s embrace, spooned against the slightly taller girl, happily warmed by her body. It felt nice and comforting and her heart was calmed by the position. She felt loved and cared for being held here, in perhaps her favorite place on earth, especially given the fact that she had not started here when she had fallen asleep. Ginny had to have moved her to that position during the night, cuddling against her while they slept. To know that her girlfriend actually wanted to cuddle up against her made her feel all warm and fuzzy and she liked that feeling. It was a pleasant feeling that she could simply bask in all day long. Unfortunately her bladder had other ideas.

Grumbling, she got out of bed when she could fight against it no longer and headed to her en suite to take care of her morning ablutions. As she came back into the room after brushing her teeth she could see Ginny, her hand groping for someone who was clearly not there, whimpering herself awake. It was a little heartbreaking to watch. Hermione hurried to the bed with a growing grin on her face, tickled by this adorable display, and she sat down next to the girl, allowing the redhead to clutch her leg once the questing hand found it. She mumbled sleepily, “’Mione?”

Petting the girl’s soft red hair lovingly, she answered tenderly, “Yes Gin?”

“You were gone.” Her voice was still thick with sleep.

“I went to the bathroom. I was only gone for a minute or so. It’s okay baby. Do you need to sleep more?” she asked, still running her hands down her girlfriend’s hair.

Ginny looked up at her blearily, pulling her pillow lined face up from the depths of the blankets, her eyes opened to mere slits. “ No, I wake.”

Unable to stop herself because of how cute that was, Hermione grinned broadly and said, “Of course you are. Come on then Gin. You know… if you can actually get up we can get some breakfast and have some fun today. What do you think about that?”

Ginny nodded in agreement and made her way out of bed, stumbling towards the bathroom, weaving ever so slightly, having to correct her track once as she was veering quite a bit off track. Hermione finally turned away from that sight of her girlfriend walking blind and went through her drawers, trying to figure out what she was going to wear for the day before laying everything out. Once she did that, Ginny was coming back out, looking ever so slightly more awake. Hermione grinned as she could now actually see Ginny’s the lovely brown of her pretty eyes, since they were actually open. With a cheeky grin she toasted her girlfriend with a bottle and took her morning potion grimacing a bit at the taste. “Gah! I just wish that they could make these things taste a little less horrific. It tastes like licking a wet werewolf.”

“Now that is a very sexy face right there and a horrible image.” quipped Ginny, smirking at the sight.

Hermione stuck her tongue out in response, knowing that it was probably the best answer she could manage at the moment. She was busy trying to get the taste out her mouth and it made talking diffiuclt.

Ginny snickered at her and teased, “Don’t stick it out ‘mione unless you intend to use it.”

Hermione looked at her and raised an eyebrow, sensing a perfect opportunity to nearly prank her girlfriend, or at least tweak her some. Her gaze shifted from normal to smoldering as she gazed at Ginny with open, naked desire, her voice dropping to something huskier, deepening with need. “Oh really now Ginevra? Are you saying that you are ready to go there? Interesting.”

“Uh… erm… uh…” stammered Ginny, blushing down to the tops of her breasts as she took all this in, her eyes going wide.

Noting the way Ginny’s eyes dilated and her breathing hitched Hermione decided to keep the look going to see just what reaction she could get. Lowering her eyes slightly, to add to the seductive look, she slowly stuck her tongue out and touched the tip of it to her upper lip lightly, her eyes locked onto Ginny’s, boring into her. The whole time she thought about all the wonderful things she could do to Ginny with it. Ginny let out a high pitched squeak but was unable to tear her eyes away, clearly tracking her tongue. Hermione licked her lips, her tongue tracing her mouth in a languorous circle, another set of brown eyes following every movement of it. When she spoke next, she dragged Ginny’s name out seductively putting as much emotion as she could into her words, “And how would you like me to use my tongue, Ginevra?”

Ginny’s mouth opened and closed a few times in response, her voice clearly failing her. The blush on her face was deepening, its red color getting darker and darker. Hermione could almost swear she could begin to feel the heat radiating off her from where she was. Ginny’s voice broke slightly as she said roughly, “’Mione?”

“Yes Gin?” She reached a hand out slowly and ran it down and around Ginny’s neck, dipping through her jugular notch, in and through the valley of her breasts. Once she finished that she looked back up at the girl, right into her eyes and smiled suggestively.

Ginny squeaked again and Hermione couldn’t sustain it any longer. Ginny’s reactions were just too much for her to deal with. She started snickering and hugged the other girl. “Oh Merlin Ginny, you are so adorable when you are flustered. Those squeaks…”

“You… you… you… gah!” Ginny screamed in frustration, arms flailing upwards.

Hermione kept chuckling and moved forward. She hugged her girlfriend, kissed her on the cheek and said, “I know baby, I know, I’m a terrible person. You’ll get me for this. I will rue the day. Come on, we need to get ready. I could use some breakfast.”

Getting dressed rather quickly, Hermione gathered what she thought she might need for the day and putting it into her expanded book bag, she then said to the still somewhat out of it girl, “I’ll see you downstairs in the common room. Don’t take too long.”

Ginny just grunted as she was trying to get dressed in last night’s clothes in order to head back down to her shared room so she could get dressed for the day. Leaving her to it, Hermione closed the door and headed into the common room to wait for her. She spotted her tag a long first year sitting on the sofa as he usually did and smiled at him when he looked up from his book. “Good morning Simon, what are you up to this morning?”

“Homework.” He grumbled a little.

“Well, if you need any help try one of you year mates first but if they can’t help, come get either Ginny or I. We’d be happy to help. We can also show you a few tricks to make this all easier, okay. And don’t forget to take time to have some fun as well. You need to make more friends as these are the people who you’ll be with for the next seven years. It will certainly help if you actually know them.” Hermione went over and ruffled his hair a little. It was really difficult not to like Simon. He was almost as likable as Harry, but for somewhat different reasons.

Simon frowned up at her and used his hands to try to brush his hair back into some semblance of order. It reminded her a little of Harry before he had completely given up of his hair and let it run free, though Simon’s hair was much more under control as a rule. That train of thought just made her grin a bit more at the memory. She really did miss Harry and Ron. “Have you eaten?”

He shook his head.

She looked at him for a second and then rolled her eyes, shaking her head, clearly amused. Boys. “Were you waiting for Ginny and me?”

The first year blushed a little and nodded, looking down into his book, unable to look up at her and reply.

Hermione leaned down and gave him a hug. “That is very sweet of you but you didn’t have to do that. We know that you are a growing boy and that boys can be bottomless pits. However, you are quite the gentleman Simon for waiting, so thank you. I can already tell that you will have all the ladies after you in no time. Most of us like that sort of thing in a partner.”

The color in his face darkened, even touching his ears. Apparently his toes were quite fascinating and he shifted some in his seat. Hermione had to smile at the adorableness.

Ginny came down the stairs to that sight and groaned in frustration before saying, “Just what did you do to the poor boy, ‘mione?”

“Why do you assume it was my fault?” protested Hermione, trying valiantly to defend her honor.

“Because Simon here is a sweetie and you are the kind of evil person who would take advantage of that. It has to be your fault. Come on Simon, let’s go get some breakfast and we can leave ‘mione here. I’ll keep you safe from the mean scary Head Girl.” teased Ginny, sticking her tongue out at the end to make it clear to her girlfriend that she was teasing.

Hermione chuckled and the three of them headed downstairs, navigating the moving staircases with ease, showing Simon some of the tricks that living in the castle had taught them, like exactly where the trick step was and the best ways that you could remember where it was. That got them down to the Great Hall quickly, as they used one of the secret passageways that the map had taught them to cut the travel time. Luna wasn’t there yet so they sat at the Gryffindor table and began to serve themselves from the various steaming platters already present. Simon had no hesitation in diving into all the good food around him and filling his plate.

“What’s the plan for today Gin? You kind of look like you have something in mind other than studying and I need to know if I should be worried.” asked Hermione, having noticed the slightly smug, slightly anticipatory look on her girlfriend’s face. It did not bode well for her plan to review sixth year herbology so she would be ready for Monday’s class.

“I do indeed. Remember what I told you was going to happen once we got back up here? Well… I talked to Madam Hooch and she did have the kind of brooms I was looking for for you to try. I told her why I wanted to borrow them and she was more than willing to let you try them out. So you my love are going to be coming with me out to the pitch where we are going to have a flying lesson.” Ginny’s grin was bright and huge. She was very much excited about this and it showed in every way, including the fact that she was bouncy like a little girl.

Hermione was a bit worried about all of this. She was nervous about the idea of flying again, since she had basically avoided getting back onto a broom ever since she had passed basic flight First Year. Flying on the Thestrals to the Ministry had been the next time she had been in the air for any real extended period of time since she and Harry had used Buckbeak to save Sirius and it had been terrifying. Being on an invisible creature and flying at high speeds, even if you could feel the creature you were perched on it had been a highly disconcerting experience. Then she rode one again with now Minister Shacklebolt right after they got Harry from Privet Drive a few days before his birthday. Again, it was not an excellent event to endear her to even the notion of flight. Ginny certainly had her work cut out for her. At least she was willing to give it a try.

“Flying?” squeaked Simon excitedly, clearly more thrilled about this event than she was.

Ginny grinned at him. “Yep. You will be learning how to do that in a little bit, so don’t worry about it. And once you pass the class with Madam Hooch I will take you out flying and teach you lots of neat tricks and how to play Quidditch. It’s an awesome game and a lot of fun. If you want, you can come out and watch the lesson, but you can’t stay for the picnic, that’s going to be kind of private.”

Simon snickered a little when Ginny winked at him. He then looked off kind of dreamily. “What’s it like? Flying.”

“It’s the most wonderful thing in the world. Up on your broomstick you feel so cut off from all your normal worries and problems, so free and the wind is rushing around you and you have full control of where you are going and what is happening. It’s an amazing feeling and there is nothing else in the world quite like it. My friend Harry and I agree that it’s like… prefect freedom.” Ginny was looking at something only she could see there at the end, her voice a touch dreamy. She then looked a bit abashed and then grinned at the other two. Hermione had to admit to herself that she did look even more attractive like that.

Simon seemed awed by that description and Hermione decided not to throw her two cents in and possibly mar his dreams. At that point she had very little in the way of positive statements she could make on the topic and since he was still so new to this it might be detrimental to his success. Instead she decided to change the topic, “We’re having a picnic are we?”

“Yes we are. I thought you might enjoy having one and it does seem to be a gorgeous day for it. I figure we can work on your flying for a while and then when you are more comfortable maybe we could go for a short flight and have a picnic. I know of a good spot that is nice and isolated where we won’t be interrupted while we eat and…relax. Then we can come back rejuvenated and study some before dinner, does that sound good to you?” Ginny’s eyes seemed full of mischief. It reminded her a whole lot of Fred and George.

“That… does sound appealing.” admitted Hermione, a bit hesitant to state that she was being enticed by a picnic. But it sounded like so much fun. A picnic with Ginny would be a nice way to spend some time with her girlfriend doing something other than sleeping or studying, which was mostly what they did now and would continue to do so for most of the year. Things had already started off with a bang in class, since it was their NEWT year and the assignments were long and required her to review a great deal of material as she had skipped a year of studying. Thus she was doing her usual job of staying well ahead of the curve, only this time Ginny was trying to stay there with her. That meant long hours studying material and practicing only broken by sleep, eating and her work as Head Girl.

“Good. Then it’s settled. After breakfast I’ll meet you down at the pitch. It should be roughly thirty minutes or so later, which gives me enough time to run down to the kitchens for our lunch and to go grab the brooms. Mine’s already in the locker rooms so I just need the ones from Madam Hooch for you to try.” The redhead grinned at Hermione, clearly happy with her girlfriend’s decision to go along with this plan.

“I can watch you fly?” asked Simon, a bit wide eyed. It was a bit cute how interested he was in the whole idea. He was just so excited that it was just adorable. She would never tell him that but it didn’t change anything.

“You bet. But remember, I’m not gonna teach you because I don’t want to get yelled at by Madam Hooch. If I taught you anything she would have me in detention for the rest of the year and honestly I might even deserve it if you got hurt. But don’t worry, she’s a really good teacher and will take good care of you in class. Well, I’m done. Let me head down to the kitchens to gather things up. I’ll catch up to you both soon.” Ginny stood and kissed Hermione softly on the forehead before she walked out.

Hermione smile was kind of goofy as she watched Ginny leave. She did like the sway of the girl’s hips and her ass was nice and tight from all of her Quidditch. It was a lovely sight to behold and she could watch her all day. She really couldn’t wait for the other girl to feel more comfortable about them getting more physical in their relationship so she could feast on her. Just thinking about it made her body begin to respond so she had to stop that train of thought quickly. More and more she had been thinking about it and it was very distracting. She sighed and turned back to her own meal, needing the distraction. Simon rolled his eyes and went back to his eggs and sausage.

Luna came into the Great Hall and joined them, sitting down across from Hermione. She cocked her head to the side when she saw the look on her face and her grin grew broader. “Good morning. What has you smiling so much?”

Hermione blushed and looked down at her plate. Simon resisted rolling his eyes again, though you could hear it in his voice as he replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “Ginny.”

Luna laughed happily and Hermione’s slowly growing blushed deepened. She turned to the boy next to her and snapped out a rather shocked and affronted, “Simon!”

The boy only snickered playfully and returned yet again to his meal. It made her feel good to see him opening up and be this playful with her. Maybe there was hope for him yet.

“So what are you doing today?” asked the blond.

“Picnic and flying lesson. This afternoon we’ll be in the library studying if you want to join us.” said Hermione. “The usual table.”

Luna pondered this and nodded. “Thanks, I will keep that in mind. I was thinking of going to visit the centaurs. I have been worried about them all summer.”

Simon went a little cross eyed at this as the idea seemed to boggle his mind, “Centaurs?”

“Why yes. They are wonderful people and I do like the local herd. I am just worried about how they fared after May, with so many of the Acromantula running amuck, and the giants and all the Death Eaters. I never heard how they fared. So I’m going to go check.” said Luna with her usual smile.

“Where do they live?”

“The Forbidden Forest.” She answered succinctly.

Simon looked worried at that answer and leaned in to the table, whispering conspiratorially, “But won’t you get in trouble?”

Hermione laughed a little at that, clearly not at Simon but the idea was kind of ludicrous. “If anyone can get away with walking into the Forbidden Forest and not get into any trouble whatsoever it would be our dear Luna here. She’s been apparently been doing it for most of her time at Hogwarts. Probably since her first year if my guess is correct.”

Luna nodded her head in acknowledgement. “Well there are the most unusual creatures in there and I do want to find some lovely specimens for daddy to write about in the Quibbler. How could I resist?”

Both girls chuckled at Simon’s stare of disbelief. Hermione answered before Luna could, “It’s okay Simon, she really likes studying Magical creatures of all types so she goes out all the time and does that. She goes on trips with her father to look for various creatures all the time but some of them are very elusive.”

“Oh like the various animals and such that have been thought to be extinct but then they get found again? Or ones that are thought to be only myths and are then discovered? Those are the coolest discoveries. Really, you do that? That’s so cool!” Simon looked at Luna with new respect in his eyes.

Luna turned and looked at Hermione, giving her a curious look. It was clear that something in Simon’s response did to her what her sentences did to everyone else. “Does this actually happen in the muggle world? Mythical creatures being found?”

“Uhm… from time to time, but mythical is a bit misleading in those cases. It is a rare event and not every search yields positive results but there are a number of successes.” clarified Hermione.

“Interesting.” Luna looked right at her, gazing right in her eyes as she said that. She then turned to Simon and asked, “Simon could you please pass me the marmalade.”

Trying not to groan aloud as her thoughts immediately made the connections that she had clearly missed before, she realized that Luna’s bizarre and unusual creatures could be similar to those others that were discovered in the muggle world. The problem was that she did not know nor had she done the research to prove or disprove that assertion. She had simply assumed that she knew better and now it looked like she had certainly made an ass of herself. This was something about herself that she would have to fix but right now she could at least do the easy part. “Sorry Luna, I hadn’t made those connections before.”

“You have now so that’s good. You better get going or you’ll be late.” Luna smiled her usual spacy happy smile at her.

Hermione and Simon got up and headed out of the Great Hall while Luna went over to the Ravenclaw table with her piece of toast hanging out of her mouth. She checked in quickly with Madame Pomfrey who seemed pleased that she was following orders and was looking out for herself. Once all that was taken care of, they finally headed out towards the Pitch. “So have you been out on the grounds yet?”

He shook his head. “I’ve pretty much stayed in the castle. My first Care of Magical Creatures class is Monday.”

“Simon, this is going to be your home for the next seven years, except when you head home for the holidays and summer. You might as well explore and get to know where everything is. Hogwarts is wonderful, filled with all sorts of magnificent things and cool secrets. You should make friends with your year mates and people in other Houses, getting to know Professor Hagrid is not a bad thing either as he is a great person to know as are the other teachers. The school will basically become what you make it.” said Hermione, with a grin, looking out towards the pitch thinking back to all the good times. “Good times or bad, Hogwarts will always be here for you.”

“I will try.” His voice was clearly nervous and it reminded Hermione again of Harry early on. It also reminded her of herself when she was younger and all self-conscious. Hopefully they would be able to fix that with Simon and give him some more confidence. She just hoped that it would be easier than it was with Neville.

“You do know that Ginny, Luna and I will make sure that happens right? That you make friends and get used to the school.” prodded Hermione.

He turned to face her eyes wide, a bit shocked. It seemed that he had not thought about that particular side effect of having three headstrong women looking out for him.

“Don’t doubt us. The three of us are used to doing the impossible on a regular basis. You were told that there was a war that just finished right?” She smirked at him, knowing that this would confound him slightly since it was apparently a big topic change.

He nodded, his eyes still as wide. She could see the moment when his mind made the connection and realized who the three girls were who he was hanging out with from things he had heard by how his eyes grew wider still.

“So you see, Simon… we will make sure you have fun and we have people we can bring in to help make this happen if we have to. Never doubt that. We know a lot of people, people that can make this happen just by standing next to you and smiling at you. We don’t want to go that far just yet but we will if we have to. So it would be for the best if you just gave in and surrendered to your fate now.” She grinned at him in a slightly evil manner, friendly, playful evil to be sure, but evil none the less.

Simon was stunned and his mouth hung open. It was clear that none of this had ever registered with him. Clearly his wizarding raised year mates had never seen fit to truly inform him of exactly what sort of company he had started keeping so far this year. That might partially explain why they were giving him space. Hermione giggled at the sight of his surprise and reached over, closing his mouth. “Come on, let’s get down to the Pitch. I can tell you a little bit about Quidditch before Ginny gets there. We wouldn’t want to let her beat us down there.”

The size of the stadium seemed to overawe the poor boy, as he just gaped at everything. Hermione just let him look, chuckling to herself and thinking back to her own first days and how everything seemed so… well magical for lack of a better term. The stadium was a pretty huge structure even by non-magical standards, especially when considered it was made of wood. Granted that magic helped with a bit of the stability and resistance to wind but not all, it was merely well constructed. When he was done staring at her she started explaining the very basics of Quidditch to him, using games he would be familiar with to make the concepts of the game a lot easier for him to understand. If someone had bother to do that for her she might have enjoyed the game more, but then again she might not have. It was still a sport, though it had grown on her over the years, probably due to both Harry and Ginny’s involvement. She had to admit there was also some spectacular flying involved. Ginny arrived as she was getting explaining the Seeker and the Snitch.

“So that’s how a game ends? That seems kind of crazy.” commented Simon, looking at Hermione as if she were making fun of him.

“Professional matches can go on for days if the snitch is particularly sneaky. My favorite team, the Holyhead Harpies, played a game that lasted seven days.” mentioned Ginny with a smile.

Simon turned and looked at her with new awe as more pieces fell into place, “Woah! And wait… you are the Captain of the House team?”

“Yep. I want to actually play professionally as well so I train really hard. The game is a lot of fun and if you want I’ll have the team put together a pickup game in early to mid-October so some of the first and second years have a chance to play. But you all have to pass your flying class first.”

Simon nodded enthusiastically. He seemed to be getting drawn into the sport just like every other boy that Hermione knew. If he was like this after only hearing about it, what would he be like after he flew the first time and Ginny showed him how to really play? Honestly, what was it about boys and their sports? She just never could wrap her head around that.

“Now then, enough about the best sport ever, we came out here for a reason, are you ready to go ‘mione?” asked Ginny.

Hermione bit her bottom lip, her heart suddenly speeding up and then nodded. Part of her knew the answer was no but she didn’t want to disappoint. She had agreed to this and didn’t want to back out now. Besides it gave her another way to get closer to Ginny. “Sure. I’m nervous about this but I trust you so I am willing to give this a chance.”

“Okay. Now like I said, after thinking about it I figured that your problem was not the flying or the heights per se but rather more about the falling and getting hurt, right?”

A nod was the only answer needed.

“So what we have here are two different brooms that are made to be much more about safety and ease of use than about performance and speed, factors which would be perfect for you. I knew you didn’t need anything like a Nimbus or a Firebolt because honestly, if you ever decide to play Quidditch it will be a while and why push it until you are ready? Even then you will probably be borrowing a broom to do it. Now Madam Hooch didn’t have anything like Moody’s Recumbent so sorry about that but she did have two others that I thought were perfect for this. Here we have a Bluebottle which is a good all-around family broom and is great for travelling. It is not even remotely built for speed but for safe handling and comfort. It is also very reliable. Then there is the Comet 290. While this is a Quidditch broom don’t think anything of it because while it can go from zero to sixty in around ten seconds, Harry’s Firebolt can hit one fifty in the same amount of time. So it is a good bit faster and more maneuverable than the Bluebottle, but nowhere near the high end of performance that the Nimbus and Firebolt are. It just gives you more maneuverability and speed over the Bluebottle but requires a bit more skill and comfort on your part. With me so far?”

Hermione had to admit that watching Ginny lecture about something was kind of sexy. She was clearly knowledgeable and passionate about the subject, which showed and that drew her in. She so wanted to snog her senseless right here on the pitch. Maybe she actually did have a thing for teachers or maybe just this particular teacher or just smart girls or smart girl. She refocused on the lesson and said, “I’m following.”

“I was thinking of starting you on the Bluebottle to get you more comfortable with flying again and then if you are feeling bolder than maybe we could try moving you to the Comet. You game?” Ginny’s grin was infections.

Hermione bit her lip as she looked at the brooms and then over at the girl she loved. She trusted her and knew she wouldn’t let her get hurt but it was still pretty scary. Could she really do this now that it came to it, actually get on a broom and fly? Her heart started beating faster as the moment was getting closer and she was at the precipice, where she had to commit to doing this thing or run. She swallowed and looked from the brooms and back to Ginny. “Sure.”

“Okay. You remember how to get the broom ready, right?” The voice was gentle and not pressuring in any way. She was not trying to push her at all.

Hermione nodded absently as she went over to the Bluebottle and silently called up. The broom came up to her hand, not as violently as the brooms had when she was first learning but still firmly, slapping into her palm. She swallowed. This was getting real.

“Mount the broom and push up just about five feet.”

Complying, Hermione found herself in the air and she gripped the handle tightly, her fear starting to ramp up even higher. All she could imagine was falling and hitting the ground, getting hurt like Harry seemed to do on a regular basis almost everytime he played. Ginny was soon alongside her on her own broom, reaching out to lay a hand on her arm, startling her. “Relax ‘mione. Breathe. You don’t need to hold on to the broom so tight. Now sit back and feel the seat. See how it is different from what you had flown with before?”

It was certainly a lot more comfortable and she was able to settle herself into it really easily. Her mind noted the differences and compared them rather quickly. This was the far superior broom in her opinion. “Yes. This is really nice.”

With a grin of encouragement, Ginny said, “Alright, now start flying forward to get a feel for the broom. Turn a few times as well. Notice that it takes a bit of pressure from you to accomplish it, like the broom wants to know that you are sure that you want to turn before it actually does so. Do that for a little bit to get used to the feel of it.”

Hermione flew around the Pitch, weaving about, never more than five or six feet off the ground at any one time. This was just like beginning flight only a lot more comfortable thanks to the improved seat. Just how uncomfortable were those brooms if her far smaller body was uncomfortable on them? If she rode one now it would be really uncomfortable. That was a discomforting thought. And Simon was going to go through that soon? She was no comfortable with that idea.

“Good. Now let’s get a bit higher. I want you to eventually speed up and move about at the height of the goals but take your time. There is no need to push yourself into going faster than you are comfortable with. Do you think you can do that?” Ginny was still even with her, staying close in case she was needed.

Hermione took a few deep breaths to try and settle her nerves, before sighing, “Yes, I think I can.”

It took a while, as her fear grew as she got higher. The broom was nice and stable though, causing her no trouble whatsoever, this was fear of her own making. Her fear was making things rather tense for her and her palms were growing slick with sweat. One by one she dried them on her pants legs, trying to ensure that her grip remained tight, as she didn’t want her grip to slip at a crucial moment. Finally she was up at the height of the goal posts; still flying the weaving pattern that Ginny wanted her to, focusing on the task at hand and nothing else. Ginny flew off to one side and called her over. Hermione flew over to her and then stopped, hovering there next to the redhead, eyes wide at the sight that was before her as she looked up.

There was Hogwarts, kind of like how she had seen it from the top of the bleachers but where Ginny was stopped was actually higher still by at least fifteen feet, maybe more. The view from where she was was unobstructed and it completely took her breath away. Ginny looked over at her and grinned, “Was I wrong?”

Hermione barely registered the words, her eyes scanning over the castle, seeing it from this different vantage point. This was amazing. Maybe Ginny really did have a point about flying around the castle being a good addendum to Hogwarts: A History. It would certainly give her a view of the castle that was different than before. The view was breathtaking and she bet that if she got higher and closer that she would be able to look down on the tallest towers and look through whatever window she wanted. That got her smiling mildly, it was an appealing thought, though slightly pervy. She could discover whatever detail about the castle that her heart desired.

Her thoughts were distracted by Ginny snickering. Hermione turned her head and asked, “What?”

“You. You were so afraid of flying before and now you probably want to fly higher so you can look down on the school.”

She blushed and looked away from the redhead. Was she really that easy to read? She had thought she was a lot less transparent. “So what if I do?”

“Nothing. That’s just fine. I told you that you just needed a broom that you could be comfortable on and that it would make all the difference. I bet you can barely register the broomstick right now. That it all feels nice and natural.” Ginny looked very confident with that statement.

A blush was the only response, which was about what Ginny had expected. “And let me guess, now that you have something occupying your mind your fears have all vanished?”

Hermione looked up at Ginny in realization that the girl was indeed right. Ginny snickered. “Told you I have been thinking about this for a while. Come on let’s head back down. I’m starting to get a little hungry and I am sure you are as well. We can fly to where I want to have our picnic and it will be all good.”

“I think I’ll keep working with the Bluebottle for now. I might try the Comet later. This is not as bad as I thought it would be.”

“Sounds good.”

Simon looked excited to see them coming back down and jabbered away with Hermione about flying while Ginny took the Comet into the lockers to secure it until they came back. “See you later Simon. You better head back up and get some lunch. No need for you to starve. You are a growing boy after all.”

The boy was all smiles as he headed back to Hogwarts. It was clear to the both of them that he had enjoyed himself even though all he had done was guard one broomstick while they had flown. Hermione meanwhile followed Ginny towards the lake and across the water, a good bit more comfortable in the air than she had ever been before. That was throwing her a bit but she was getting used to it. They were nearing one of the islands that was fairly isolated but not too far away from the shore. Once they sat down on the blanket that Ginny laid down, the redhead grinned, “I was hoping you would like this place, it has nice grass, a view of the castle and it is less likely that people will come out here and bother us for some reason or another. What do you think?”

Hermione dismounted her broom and sashayed over to her girlfriend and pulled her into her arms, kissing her soundly. When she let her up for air, Hermione said cheerily, “I think it’s a wonderful idea. Let’s eat.”


	22. Chapter 22

Twenty-two

The rest of the weekend had gone swimmingly and Hermione felt like she was on top of the world. The potions were helping her do better and had gotten her back to how she had been before, which was both a good and bad thing. Good for her in terms of health, bad in terms of Ginny needing to leave her room and move downstairs with the rest of the girls in her year. Hermione was not really a big fan of that plan as she had gotten used to sleeping cuddled up to her Ginny and the notion of being apart sucked. Where else was she going to find such a lovely heater that was so soft and cuddly?

The schoolwork was easy so far, but given that it had only been two days of classes it was no surprise, though the review assignments were pretty terrifying for other people. And because of how simple things seemed, she was moving forward in Moony’s Journals, trying to get as far as she could while she could. The reading was fascinating and giving her more and more ideas for pranks as well as ways to modify her casting for greater efficiency and effect. The simple idea that they had of trying to think of all the ways you could use a given spell outside of the obvious was radical and giving her some tremendous ideas. There were even a few simple Marauder creations that she had already come across that looked intriguing. When she had more time she was going to have to dig into the other sections of the trunk and see if there were copies already in there. If not, it wasn’t like they would be difficult to make.

She was also falling more and more under the spell of Ginny’s lips. It was magnificent. Kissing Ginny was so much better than kissing Ron had ever been for a number of different reasons. Her lips were softer and she was not as rough as Ron had been and that just did something for her. It wasn’t even that Ron had been a particularly bad kisser. He was better than Victor and certainly far superior than that slobbery thing McLaggen had attempted to pass off on her when she hadn’t been quick enough to get out of his clutches in sixth year. But no, Ginny had soft lips and took her time, seeming to know exactly what Hermione wanted with her kisses. It was absolutely heavenly and she was drunk with the pleasure of it. Life really could not be getting any better.

Tuesday was double History and double Herbology. She was looking forward to getting back into the greenhouses and only wished she was as good with plants as Neville was. She knew he had an absolute gift with them whereas she was just very well read and studied a lot. It was something she wanted to correct, to sort of learn to work with the plants better. There were a lot of things she wanted to do better, now that her focus wasn’t split between school and fighting a madman.

She was sitting in class, taking notes while Binns was in the front, droning on when something he said caught her attention and started a chain of thoughts cascading through her brain in an avalanche of thought that got her more and more distraught. Everything was lining up and she had to be wrong, she just had to be. Knowing that Ginny was still taking notes she went back over what she had just written down and thought about what the Professor had said. When she saw what was written there when coupled with the information in her memory made all color in her face leave and she muttered, “Bloody hell.”

Ginny looked over worriedly, having caught the tone if nothing else, her brown eyes a bit narrowed. “What is it?”

“I… I’ve got to go and… and check on something in the Library. I may have to leave if I am right and I really hope I’m not. Oh Merlin, please let me be wrong. I so want to be wrong. I will leave a message whatever happens so you know. Bye.” Hermione leaned in and kissed Ginny on the cheek before she grabbed her things, shoving them in the bag rather haphazardly, and bolted out of the classroom, drawing all eyes after her except for Professor Binns who kept lecturing to the class as if she had not even moved.

As she raced upstairs to the Library she kept muttering to herself, in a voice that was increasing in tension and worry, “Please be wrong, please be wrong.”

Madame Pince rather shocked as Hermione slammed the doors to the Library open barely slowing down as she moved, making a beeline right towards the history section, utterly focused on her task. She grabbed her favorite book on the various goblin wars and revolts, ignoring everything that was being yelled at her from one of her favorite staff members in the school and flipped through the book, towards the section that she recalled having the most pertinent information to what she was thinking about. After some brief but frantic flipping, she read the section and blanched, the weight of her memory being correct falling on her making her sit heavily onto the floor, the strength in her legs failing her.

Hermione scrunched her eyes, fighting back tears that threatened to overwhelm her and she clenched one hand, the other being occupied with a book. Why did her memory have to be so good? Why did she have to be right in this case? Why couldn’t things just move forward peacefully? Why were they stuck with this legacy from the bloody War? She was quite aware that this was still all theoretical at this point but given their damnable luck there really could only be one bloody answer to this. Her thoughts had to be right and that made her stomach lurch.

Cursing about fate and Bellatrix and idiot wizards, she stood and left the Library at a run, taking the book with her, yet again ignoring Madame Pince who’s chiding of her had not stopped. She really admired and respected the woman, but right now there was no time to really dicker with her over things like needing a book now and not being able to afford the time to get it checked out, as if she was going to hurt it. Besides she was only going to take it with her since she needed to see the Headmistress.

She raced through the halls, the good shape she had gotten into running from Snatchers clearly helping at this moment. It would be no problem for her to run the distance to the where she needed to go and since class was in session she would not have to dodge much in the way of students. It brought back some memories of doing something similar earlier in the year through rubble filled halls but she pushed it back. After a quick run, she reached the Gargoyle and said the current password, tapping her foot impatiently for it to move. Once she could get onto the stairs she did for all the good it did and it rose at the same speed it always did. It was turning way to slow for her but she also knew that there was no way for her to speed the thing up. This was the way things were and she would just have to deal with it, like she was discovering. Finally the stairs stopped going up and before she could knock on the door, Headmistress McGonnagall called out, “Come in.”

Hermione hustled in, “Headmistress, I need to go to the Ministry right now and then probably to Gringotts. It is vitally important and it cannot wait”

McGonnagall smiled at her and raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out what the flushed girl was talking about as she said, “And what is it Miss Granger, that is so vital that you need to leave school to accomplish it?”

“Stopping a possible Goblin Wizard war.” Her voice was flat when she said this, with no hint of amusement.

The Headmistress’s eyes nearly bugged out at that statement, recognizing the tone for what it was and she glared at Hermione, clearly disbelieving what she was hearing. Gone was the kindly face that she tended to wear as Headmistress and the usual face Hermione had grown used to had returned. “Explain yourself right now.”

Hermione groaned at this delay even though she could understand it. If McGonnagall did not understand what she was doing there was no way she would let her leave, regardless of who she was. She looked towards the ceiling and then back down to lock eyes with her. “Well… you know how terrible the Ministry had been treating the goblins for the past year, since Voldemort and Umbridge were in charge of things. That sort of set the stage for what followed. You see, we dropped into that mess and just made things worse. Harry, Ron and I had to break into Gringotts to get the Cup. Following?”

McGonnagall nodded, clearly following along with what Hermione was saying, based off the increasingly dour expression on her face.

“Well, without a doubt there is a good deal more that went into it but from what I remember about various treaties, if the three of us don’t get there as soon as possible to fix this mess somehow, the Goblins have more than enough justification to go to war with the Wizarding populace over treaty violation, actually several treaty violations. They really do have more than just cause to do this if you look at it from their point of view. And with everything we have been through this spring there is no way we could stop them from doing whatever they wanted and possibly conquering the Ministry.” Hermione looked like she was ready to cry.

The Headmistress blinked a few times and swallowed heavily before saying, “So what is it that you wanted?”

“The best I can think of right now is that I need to speak with the Minister and then get Ron and Harry and head on over to Gringotts to see if we can head this thing off. I pray that I am just wrong about this and am simply overreacting, but if I am not then doing nothing would be a tremendous mistake.” stated Hermione, her voice shaking a little as her emotions started to spill out.

“Right, you convinced me. Let’s not dillydally.” Headmistress McGonnagall stood and quickly sent out her Patronus with a message, the silvery cat vanishing through a wall. Hermione did something similar, sending hers with a message for Ginny letting her know that she had gone to the Ministry. With a toss of Floo Powder and a rush of green flames, the Headmistress called out, “Ministry of Magic!”

The two were soon striding on their way up the atrium, people scampering out of their way as if sensing their urgency, especially once the two of them were recognized. As soon as they were properly signed in they headed directly for the office in question. After the elevator reached the correct floor they hustled down the hall and waited for the secretary to announce them, both with a growing impatience built on an awareness of how potentially bad this could become. Hermione fought the urge to scratch the scar, as it wouldn’t help matters. To say that Minister Shacklebolt was surprised to see them would be an understatement. He actually came to the door of his office and looked out, quite confused, “Minerva? Hermione? What are you doing here?”

Headmistress McGonnagall let Hermione take the lead, since she seemed to know what was going on. “Minister Shacklebolt…”

“Hermione, we have fought together several times, please call me Kingsley.” He said as he waved them inside his office, sensing that this might require confidentiality.

 She blushed at the request for more familiarity. In short order they were inside and he gestured for them to sit. Hermione took a breath and then got right to it, “Right… uh… Kingsley, I was in History of Magic when I realized something. Because of the aggravation caused to them and the deaths incurred by Lord Voldemort, when Harry, Ron and I broke in to Gringotts to get the horrcrux from the Lestrange vault, that act could easily count as a treaty violation and could instigate another war. To the best of my knowledge the only way to stop this would be for the three of us to go talk to them or perhaps face their champions. I’m not exactly sure which it is. The books I’ve been able to read are a bit vague on that part.”

Kingsley nodded, looking thoughtful, clearly processing what he had just heard. He stood and went to the door, opening it to say, “Gretchen, could you get me the head of the Department of Magical Creatures and the Goblin Liaison Office head immediately. Also see if someone in Auror training can locate Trainee Weasley and send him here.”

Hermione meanwhile, sensing what the Minister was up to, sent her Patronus off to Harry with her message, stressing the urgency. She knew that would get Harry here in no time as he was usually good at that sort of thing. When Kingsley came back over and sat down he looked far more serious and severe than she had ever seen him before. “Right that’s taken care of. Now Hermione, based off your analysis, do you really think they might go to war over this?”

Hermione looked fretful and a bit irritated, as if he was questioning her truthfulness. This was outside of her knowledge base and she hated guessing to this degree, “Well, you see, that’s why I’m so worried. I am fairly certain that the answer is yes, given the way that goblins usually react to various issues. If you look at things historically, Wizards treat them poorly at the best of times, giving them no real reason not to go to war over this. Honestly, it might actually be in their best interest to go to war with us. I mean seriously, they are classified as Magical Creatures when they are intelligent beings with a culture and everything. Wouldn’t that piss you off if we were treated that way?”

“Miss Granger.” chided Headmistress McGonnagall.

“Sorry Headmistress, but it’s true. We have given the goblins no reason to side with us or support us. Wizards constantly hold themselves above all other beings and I know that some of them are tired of it. This whole thing is just ridiculous.” Her frustration was almost palpable.

Kingsley shared a look with McGonnagall and then turned back to Hermione, leaning forward, elbows on his desk. “Then what would you do if you were in my position?”

“Well for starters, I would unilaterally move the Goblin Liaison Office from where it is and put it with the other Embassies where it belongs. I wouldn’t ask for anything at all. The goblins are a sovereign nation and should be treated as such, not as a group of really well trained animals who carry out tasks for us. What is being done now is reprehensible, not to mention what has been done to them. It doesn’t matter if they give us anything or not, just giving them that should show that you are extremely serious about changing things for the better. After that… well I guess it depends on what Harry, Ron and I can come up with and what we will have to do to make amends. I figure it might turn on Griphook and the Sword of Griffindor but that’s a guess.” mused Hermione, quieting after she had briefly ranted. She had gone from grousing about the injustice and was now actively problem solving. This was beyond her knowledge base but she was willing to throw her naive two knuts in. “But between the treating them as a sovereign nation and being willing to deal with them over the sword, perhaps those two things together with an apology might surprise the goblins enough that it might allow us to get the foothold we need so that we can defuse any potential hostilities that are building.”

“And you are sure that…” A knock at the door interrupted his sentence and he sat back some before calling out. “In!”

Two gentlemen walked in, one dressed better than the other. The eldest of which said, “You wanted to see us Minister.”

Kingsley sat back and said, “Yes, thank you for getting here so quickly. It seems as if we may have missed a potential crisis that was brewing while we were so busy dealing with other pressing issues. First off, Mr. Stewards, I need to know, what has been the mood of the goblins lately?”

“Uhm… actually Minister, they have been a bit more surly than usual in any correspondence. There has even been some outright antagonism and conversation has been deteriorating as time has gone on ever since I took over the office mid-May. I have been getting worried and have been trying to settle things, but I figured that this might be a transitionary period issue after such a Ministry shakeup. I wish Mr. Cresswell was still here. He and the goblins got along well together and he was very good at reading them and their moods.” The man fidgeted a little as he spoke, looking a few times towards his nominal superior for support.

Kingsley pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. This was obviously not what he had wanted to hear. “Thank you for that. Miss Granger, once again I find that the Wizarding populace is in your debt. You figured out this problem before any of my people even noticed more than the first stirrings of this issue. Albrecht, I need you to help ensure that the GLO gets moved to floor five without any problems, do you think you can manage that without any hassle. Today would be preferable. I know it is a good bit radical but Miss Granger here suspects that due to the events of last year, coupled with their robbery it may have pushed the Goblins towards revolt.”

This got a very substantial reaction from the two men who almost looked like they had been slapped. The Goblin Liason Office head, began muttering to himself, as if he could see dots connecting himself. “Mr. Stewards, you are now going to be working out of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. This isn’t really a promotion per se, more of a lateral change but you may end up with the title of Ambassador by the end. I don’t know. There are clearly details that still need to be worked out. We’re trying to come up with a viable olive branch to keep this from escalating. I will get all the approval for the move taken care of with the Wizengamot after we are done, if there are any issues. From now on, it is the position of this government to treat the goblins as a separate nation rather as creatures, is that clear?”

Mr. Stewards actually looked relieved to hear that. “Thank you sir. That was actually one of Mr. Cresswell’s dreams for the Office. I think that will help matters with the goblins greatly. That has been one of their biggest issues with the wizarding world for quite a while now, at least over a hundred years if not more. Doing this just for doing it will take them aback, and make them wonder what we have in mind, but again it should buy us time.”

“Good. Miss Granger is planning on going to Gringotts with her friends as soon as we can get them here.” said Kingsley. “That should help things deescalate.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea sir? They might be considered thieves and that is liable to get them attacked upon entry. They did break into a vault and steal a dragon.”

“And that is why you will be going with them as the official Ministry representative, to ensure that they know that what she says is what we are saying and to keep the three of them safe. I want to make sure that we can manage this without things ending poorly. Are we clear?” Kingsley’s gaze was rather intense.

Mr. Stewards nodded, frowning as he said, “Clear.”

“Right. Miss Granger, you might as well wait for your friends and brief them before you head on over. I think if you three and Mister Stewards are all on the same page than you might actually make it through this. And he can fill in whatever gaps you have about the treaties and goblin customs. Maybe between the two of you working together, this whole thing might just be dealt with and nothing bad happens. Thank you for realizing this and bringing it to my attention. That would not have been a good start to my time as Minister. I just hope this will actually fix the problem.” Minister Shacklebolt smiled at her.

“I hope so as well.” replied Hermione, glad to know that this was being taken care of in the right way.

As they walked out into the outer office, Mr. Stewards said, “I’ll be right back. I need to grab a few things so I can reference them while we talk. I want to hear your plan so we can see if it will actually work or needs to be modified in some way.”

Soon the first two to arrive were alone in the corridor before the Minister’s office and Headmistress McGonnagall turned to her, saying, “I am quite impressed Miss Granger. You might be able to do something that not many people have been able to do and actually avert a war. I am sure you three will be able to pull this off since you have Ministry support. I am very proud of you Hermione. This is a very practical example of why history is important.”

Hermione blushed under the praise. Getting that sort of praise from her favorite teacher really was heady. “Thank you. I just want to make sure that the three of us can clean up our mess before it spills over onto other people. I would hate it if something we did started a war.”

“Have you thought about doing something like this as a career?”

“I… I’m not sure. I was planning on talking to you about all of this later since I have some concerns with my original plans for my future. So much has happened since fifth year that I’m not sure what I originally planned is what really fits. I am sure this will be a part of that discussion.” Hermione looked down, a bit embarrassed about all of this.

McGonnagall smiled at her fondly, “You know my door is always open for you Hermione. I will be more than happy to talk to you about your ideas for your future. I am positive that you will excel at anything you choose to do.”

The rest of their conversation was about inconsequentials until they spotted Ron heading their way. He looked to be in better shape than when she had last seen him and his hair was shorter as well. He actually looked good and she could appreciate that. When he arrived at where they were he looked a touched confused and thus sounded a touch snippy. “Hermione? Professor McGonnagall? What’s going on? I got called out of training and told to come here.”

With a sigh, having forgotten how Ron got at times like this, Hermione said rather calmly, in the same manner she used when they had been back at school to explain things. She had become rather good at Ron control over the years. “We need to wait for Harry and then I can explain what I need to. I also want to wait until he is here before we go into the conference room.”

“Go where? You still haven’t told me anything.” He furrowed his brows and tried to get an answer from the Headmistress, who just looked at him calmly. He turned away, knowing better than to push it there.

“Ron, just relax and wait. I don’t want to have to explain all of this more than once. Now it is good to see you. I take it that your training has been going well?” Hermione tried to change the subject onto something that seemed to glorify Ron, knowing that it would make him feel better, puff up his ego a touch. She really wanted him to get over his inferiority complex over his brothers accomplishments. He was a bloody hero, who had fought against Voldemort for years, which was more than any of the others had done. Honestly.

Ron gave in, knowing better than to go against Hermione in an argument, especially with McGonnagall standing right there. Besides she was sure he caught the look in her eyes that told him that she was not joking. He had gotten good at reading her over the years as well. They caught up on things, trying to rebuild some of their friendship which had been strained over the summer. After about ten minutes Harry hustled in, looking a bit flushed, “Yes? What?”

Mr. Stewards followed him in, his arms holding several thick books that looked like they had seen better days, smiling some at Harry panting. “Ah, I arrived just in time, excellent. Carry on Miss Granger.”

Hermione sighed and led them all into the conference room that Minister Shacklebolt had indicated they should use. They all took seats and Hermione smiled at them nervously. Harry and Ron looked at each other and then at the other gentleman and then back at each other before turning to look at Hermione with the questions clearly writ on their faces. Her cheeks colored as she tried to keep her composure. “Right so, Harry, Ron… let me finish what I have to say before you freak out. You see, when we stole Hufflepuff’s Cup from Gringotts I think we may have inadvertently started a war.”

Harry dropped his head to the table with a loud thump while Ron leapt to his feet, propelling his chair backwards, yelling, “What!?”

Hermione quickly explained this situation as she saw it, based off all the things the boys had slept through in History of Magic, as evidenced by their slightly glassed over eyes. Even Mr. Stewards looked a bit impressed by the time she was finished with her recap of all the pertinent treaties and ceasefires that could have precedence on this specific situation. She then outlined her rough plan, giving each of them their marching orders, including things they were supposed to remember to say.

With a groan Harry said, “You know Hermione, our plans never go well, right?”

“Harry, I am aware of that. That is why we are using one of my plans.” She pointed out.

“Yes, but you are counting on Ron and I to carry it out. Therefore it falls under the usual rule when we are involved. And besides, a lot of our plans were made by you.” He counterpointed.

Headmistress McGonnagall started laughing, getting everyone’s attention before she said, “I was really missing you three.”

The three young adults blushed at that and the two adults chuckled. Mr. Stewards nodded and said, “That is not a bad plan all things considered but there are several weak points that I can see. I gather that you haven’t really studied goblin culture in depth, which is where your few issues are. I have a few comments on it, if I may. I figure we want the strongest plan we can manage.”

HGHGHGHGHG

“Are we ready?”

“Sure, I mean if we’re already heading towards a war it’s not like we can make it any worse.” commented Ron dryly.

“Absolutely,” said Harry. “I love going into a battle zone with only a half-baked plan and vague goals. That’s better than we usually have.”

“Shut it you two.” Said Hermione, fighting a smile despite how serious this whole situation was.

Walking into Gringotts, Hermione thought about what Ron and Harry had said and it did not make her feel any better. She had been able to get a lot done that summer without having to go to the bank, figuring that she might be a bit unwelcome. That and the last time she had been there she had been polyjuiced to look like Bellatrix. That thought alone made her left forearm itch and she felt a bit jumpy. This situation seemed to prove that her caution was probably warranted.

Unwelcome was an understatement. After the Trio cleared the doors and were clearly spotted, armed guards quickly moved towards them, drawing their weapons. Before the three of them were able to draw their wands and for things to completely degenerate, Mr. Stewards stepped in front of them, demanding loudly, “I am the Goblin Liaison Officer and we demand to see the Head Goblin of Gringotts.”

That stopped things, as customers and goblins froze and looked at them. The guards edged closer, eying them warily but not taking any overtly aggressive moves. The four of them stood back to back, defensively, ready to fight their way out if they had to, though Hermione was sure that they really would rather not. An older looking goblin came from behind the counters and headed their way, calling out, “Ah… Mr. Stewards, you say that you need to speak with Director Ragnok?”

“Yes, my entire party does, all four of us here, on behalf of the Ministry, if you would Nerblod. It is rather urgent business. That won’t be a problem, will it?” The head of the Goblin Liaison Office looked the goblin right in the eye and smiled politely, showing plenty of teeth.

For a long moment, nobody said a word before Nerblod bowed his head slightly and said in a rough voice, “Very well. Follow me.”

The guards withdrew to their original stations but eyed them warily. The group went deeper into the bank, and the trio grew more nervous, well aware of how badly their last visit had gone. They recognized the danger they were in and it was far too clear on just how impossible it might be to get out of here again without the intervention of a handy dragon. Hermione rubbed at her arm, feeling the muscles in her back tighten from the stress. They paused before a door when their guide held up a hand. Nerblod then knocked loudly and opened the door slightly, speaking to the person inside in gobbledegook. The door was opened more and they were quickly ushered inside to face the Director of Gringotts, a rather large and strong looking Goblin who looked up from a collection of ledgers a sneer on his face. “What does the Ministry want? Why are these thieves here?”

Hermione realized that the situation was perhaps worse than she had feared and she nudged Harry. They needed to get this show on the road or there might not be a road left for them. He stepped forward, trying to remember what his part was, looking the goblin right in the eyes. “Director Ragnok, thank you for your valuable time. I am Harry James Potter, conqueror of the Death Eaters and slayer of Voldemort. I speak for me and my companions when I say we would like to apologize to you for breaking into your bank,… uh, violating the trust others put into Gringotts and for damaging your facility. We also regret any pain your people suffered after we left due to the actions of Voldemort. We would like to… uh… fix this problem if we can.”

Ragnok’s eyes bored into Harry’s and then scanned over Ron and Hermione, clearly weighing them. Hermione suppressed a shudder as this was a very dangerous individual before them. He clearly had power as well as strength and that was disconcerting. She knew she would never willingly want to fight him. His eyes then briefly flicked over Mr. Stewards before returning to them. “Tell me, Mister Potter, why should I not just have you and your companions killed for your gross violations of goblin territory?”

Hermione stepped forward, knowing that this was her cue to take up the conversation. She was after all the face that pulled this next part off and therefore the best one to speak to it. “You are aware that despite what we did we took but one object from the Lestrange Family vault, correct? A gold cup that once belonged to Helga Hufflepuff?”

Ragnok’s eyes cut over to her, trying to skewer her into place. “I am aware.”

Harry then asked, “Were you also aware that the cup in question was a Horrcrux for Voldemort and he was depending on the safety and security of your bank to ensure that he could never die, being able to torment all at will? The safety and security of your bank was ensuring his reign of terror.”

Ragnok looked a bit taken aback by that. Clearly this was not something he had expected to hear. “Explain.”

Harry and Hermione then proceeded to explain how Voldemort had used seven Horrcruxes to ensure that he would never die, including the fact that Harry himself had been one. They then explained their actions over the last few years in relation to those objects to provide the proper context so that Ragnok was able to follow. Ron chimed in at this point, following along with the agreed upon plan, “So you see Director Ragnok, we did this act not for self-gain or fame or to make your bank look bad but in order to protect our people and your own.”

“And I am supposed to believe this how?” challenged Ragnok, not giving any ground, despite what he had already heard from the three of them.

Hermione asked almost as an aside, “Did Griphook happen to present you with the Sword of Ragnuk the First after we left?”

Ragnok narrowed his eyes. It was obvious that he was not pleased by this new development and turn to the conversation. “You seem well informed.”

“We ought to be on this matter, he got the sword from us after all. We told him that once we were done using the sword to destroy these things we would turn it over, knowing how you viewed these objects due to words of Bill Weasley. He made sure we knew how important such a thing was. We made a deal, the sword for the cup, to be delivered once we were able to destroy the Horcruxes, as the sword was primed for that thanks to the Basilisk venom it had absorbed. Griphook apparently doubted our word and took the sword before our deal was complete. Besides, I think you just might find that the sword is missing from wherever you had it stored.” She replied, knowing that she had to be able to turn this if they had any hope of walking out of here alive. It was going to be a neat trick. She was very glad that Mr. Stewards was behind them to step in should things really begin to deteriorate. He was the one most skilled at dealing with goblins.

Ragnok looked surprised and then uttered a command to one of his guards, who hustled out of the room. They all waited there patiently as Ragnok seemed to be pondering all of this. Shortly the guard ran back in, and answered the Director. He turned his eyes on them and asked somewhat angrily, “How did you do this?”

Harry grinned slightly and said, “At this time, regardless of whose sword it was, the sword comes to the aid of true Gryffindors. It came to my aid in my second year at school when I fought a roughly 60 foot basilisk and it came to Neville Longbottom in May before he killed the last Horrcrux, allowing me to finally kill Voldemort. I believe that the sword is currently in the Headmistress’s office at Hogwarts.”

Hermione replied calmly, “It is.”

“So we know that what we did was wrong and could lead to war between our peoples. We do not want this so we wish to make amends for all of this somehow. Just to let you know how serious we are about making amends, Miss Granger, of her own initiative, worked with the Ministry and arranged for the Goblin Liaison Office to be moved to a different section of the Ministry. That office is now lodged under International Magical Cooperation all thanks to her and her desire to make amends.” Harry grinned as he said that.

Ragnok turned his attention from the Trio to look at Mr. Stewards. “Is this true?”

Mr. Stewards smiled, clearly pleased by how things were progressing. “It is Director Ragnok. The Minister made it happened this morning after speaking to Miss Granger and is going to make the Wizengamot go along with it. As I understand it, I will have a different office before I make it back to the Ministry today.”

The Director sat back in his seat, looking somewhat surprised at these developments. It was clear to Heamione that he clearly did not seem like he had expected anything of this nature to occur during this discussion and he seemed thrown. Harry continued, trying to press the advantage, “We would also like to return the Sword of Ragnuk the First to you, with the understanding that it will probably come to the aid of any true Gryffindor who needs it. But we will ensure that it is known that the blade must be returned to you and your people afterwards, going back to its rightful place. We do not want war between our peoples. We want peace between you and us. Do these actions our part count as sufficient amends towards Gringotts, Director Ragnok?”

Ragnok looked at the group standing there, as if trying to weigh them, trying to weigh the value of their proposal versus the other needs of the Bank. Hermione was holding her breath, her heart racing. This was it. This was the moment where everything turned. They had played their hand and hoped that this would be a strong enough deal to fix everything and then some. If not, then the three of them would have, at a bare minimum, banking troubles forever, that is of course if they made it outside alive.

“Harry Potter, what you and your friends have done and propose are amends far in excess of what damage you have done. This is quite sufficient. I thank you for your work in aid of the goblin nation.” Ragnok stood and bowed to them.

The trio bowed back. “You are welcome Director Ragnok.”

“Director Ragnok, as soon as I know more about the nature of the changes that this will bring between our peoples I will get in touch so we can make some of the changes Mr. Cresswell desired. The Minister is very interested in improving the relationship between our peoples.” Mr. Stewards grinned, clearly pleased at this outcome.

“That sounds like a plan. I look forward to our further conversations.”

As they walked out of the bank, Hermione felt her tension drain and she wobbled on her feet a bit. Ron beat Harry to her side and supported her. With one arm around her waist for support, he said, “I’ve got you. Let’s go.”

Harry nodded. “Let’s go get lunch. I could use a cup of tea to calm my nerves after that. The last thing I wanted to happen was for us to have to fight our way out of there. And I know that McGonnagall was planning to meet us there so let’s do that.”

“Blimey Hermione, you mean you figured all that out in Binns’ class?” said Ron, sounding impressed.

“Miss Granger, thank you. If you need anything, anything at all, let me or my office know and I will be happy to help you in any way I can. Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley it has been an honor to meet you both.”  Mr. Stewards shook their hands and headed off, disapparating with a pop.

Once they were seated in the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione sagged even more as she felt so drained. She had been running on nerves and adrenalin this whole time and it had clearly taken its toll. They waited shortly until McGonnagall came in and handed her a Pepper-up Potion. “I saw you coming up the street and figured that might help.”

The potion perked her up and she sighed, “Thank you Headmistress.”

Ron looked over at her a bit worriedly and asked, “Feeling better?”

“Yes, a bit. Thank you.” She smiled at him, glad that things were less awkward now then they had been.

“You are bloody brilliant. Absolutely bloody brilliant Hermione. What did I say, scary and brilliant. I’m buying you lunch, since I have a job and everything. You just sit back and relax.” He grinned at her. “Anything you want. That was amazing.”


	23. Chapter 23

Twenty-three

“So wait… let me get this straight… the reason you ran out of class and leaving us all to the tender mercies of Binns was so that you, Harry and Ron could avert a war with the goblins?” asked Ginny incredulously. The three of them were studying at Hermione’s favorite table in the library which was towards the back, their books all about them.

Hermione blushed a little at the way Ginny phrased that and nodded, saying, “Uhm… yes. That’s why.”

“Honestly Hermione, that has to be the lamest, most transparent excuse for skipping classes I have ever heard.” said Ginny, rolling her eyes.

“Prat.” Hermione smacked her lightly on her arm. Ginny only chuckled.

“I am glad you averted another war.” said Luna. “It would have been sad if Harry or Ron got hurt fighting over that when it was unnecessary.”

Hermione nodded, in full agreement with the blond. “Once I realized that I had to take care of it. There was no way I could let my friends get caught up in something like that. There has been too much pain and suffering already. How could I allow this to happen if there was something I could do?”

Ginny leaned over and kissed Hermione’s cheek. “That’s why you are so amazing, ‘mione. You figured this problem out and then immediately went off to fix it. You are the best girlfriend ever.”

 “You’re sweet… deluded, but sweet.” said Hermione, patting Ginny on the head, looking at her with pity.

“What do you mean? You are easily the best girlfriend.” countered Ginny, swatting Hermione’s hand away.

“So you mean I’m a better girlfriend than Luna?” asked Hermione, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

“Yes. Uh… no. Damn it Hermione.” growled Ginny, flustered, as both Luna and her girlfriend laughed, clearly amused by her actions. “See this, this is why I hate being surrounded by geniuses.”

“But Gin-gin…” cooed Luna, fluttering her eyes at the redhead. “…don’t be like that. We love you.”

“Oh Merlin, kill me now.” Ginny groaned and dropped her head into her book, the thump muffled by the pages.

Hermione quickly scanned over her Charms essay, sure that it was done and that she could ignore it. She was two feet past the assigned length and she was trying to keep from going as overboard with her assignments like she usually did. Ginny had certainly been helping her with that, getting her to relax more and be more playful about… well everything. Ron had done a good job starting that whole process but Ginny really brought out that side of her. Since the start of the summer, between her vow to be herself free of constraints, free to go after what made her happy without worrying about the rules and her time spent with Ginny she felt like a whole new person and it was wonderful. A lot of the responsibility for that could be laid on the shoulders of the girl currently banging her head into her Potions book. She reached out and pet Ginny on the head, saying soothingly, “There there.”

“Oy, lay off with the patting you.” complained Ginny, leaning away from her and swatting ineffectually at her hand.

“But you’re so cute.” countered Hermione with a broad grin. That was a fact that she could not argue with, as her redheaded girl was so beautiful it sometimes took her breath away.

Madam Pince came over to their table and gave them a rather pointed look due to their growing noise. The girls quieted immediately, a bit cowed by her, then began giggling softly as the Librarian left. Luna smiled at Hermione and said, “I like this relaxed you. It makes you seem brighter than you were before, lighter. I am quite happy that the darkness only succeeded in making your light stronger.”

“Thank you Luna. You do know that I couldn’t have done it without you and Fleur’s help. You two helped me find my way out of the dark. And Ginny here, she helped me find my light.” Hermione gave Luna a heartfelt smile before she cut her eyes over to the redhead, giving her a smile that lit up her face as it was filled with all the love she felt for the girl. This was the girl who had made her life so much better in so many ways. This was the girl she was giving her heart to, who she had dreamed of and cherished for years. She put all of that into the look she gave her Ginny.

“Well, you did all the real work ‘mione. We were just there to support you. I know I just mostly stood around and watched you in awe.” said Ginny with a slight blush, fighting against the urge to look down and away. “Besides, I have to admit that a lot of these changes are nice.”

“Yeah, you just like me in my miniskirts. That’s the kind of changes you like.” teased Hermione with a wink, knowing that she had seen Ginny look at her legs in one of the new staples of her wardrobe.

Ginny’s blush deepened and she looked at the table before she replied, saying, “Well, yeah, you have really nice legs.”

Hermione grinned happily at that, getting a warm feeling inside. That Ginny found her attractive was a lovely thing and it made her feel desired. Besides, she knew that since they both were enjoying the snogging it was obvious that Ginny and she loved this. But to hear more proof of it was always good and really who minded being told that they were attractive by their partner. Now, taking things in their relationship to the next level would be fun but she was respecting Ginny’s comfort level with the more physical side of things but it was getting more difficult. The redhead had done more than she had, having gone farther with some of the boys she had been with but neither had really made out with a girl. They were both new at this and were a bit unsure how to proceed. Well, not completely unsure, after all Hermione did have books that gave her information of the hows and such but that was inconsequential. But this… this statement definitely sounded like Ginny was getting a lot more comfortable with the physical side of things which boded well for the possibility of sex. There really was only so much masturbation a girl could do before she sprained her wrist.

“You know, I can finish my work up in Ravenclaw Tower if you two are just going to keep flirting and making eyes at each other like this. I don’t want you two attracting Nargles with all your antics.” said Luna, turning back to her essay.

Hermione groaned. Despite how much she wanted to tear Ginny’s clothes off and make love to her in the library, maybe even on this table that was generally away from most prying eyes, she had an essay for Herbology that had to get completed. Soon the scratching sound of pen on paper filled the space as the three girls got back to work, trying to finish their essays. Hermione finished first and then began to review her work, making sure that she didn’t have any careless mistakes that would mean that she would have to do some more work. She only had to make a few minor corrections here and there to her essay, prompting another read through to ensure that it was sufficient. Once that was done and she put her pen down, she noted that Luna was gone and Ginny was sitting there waiting for her with a happy smile on her face with all of her things already put away. Hermione blinked a few times and said, “You’re done already?”

“I finished just after you started your second read through. I am happy with my essay as it is and I just want to go up to bed. So I was waiting for you.” There was a little bit of pinkening of her cheeks as she said that, her eyes meeting Hermione’s before looking back down. There was something there that Hermione had not seen before and it was intriguing. This was definitely worth following up on.

As Hermione packed her things up, she turned her head, looking through her excessively wavy hair and asked, “So Gin, aren’t your roommates wondering why you are spending so much time up in my room?”

Ginny just shrugged. “Actually, they haven’t said anything and I don’t care. Even if they do, they probably just go with the fact that I’m your girlfriend and leave it at that. I am more worried about you and your nightmares in all honesty than anything else. They aren’t every night but they are often enough that I am wondering if I should just ask Madam Pomfrey to come with me to talk with the Headmistress. I really feel that you need me there to watch out for you.”

Blushing and looking down at her bag while she put away her pen and ink, Hermione said, “While it has been great having you with me, and waking up in your arms is one of the best feelings ever, I don’t want you to get into any trouble or get looked at weird because of me.”

“Who cares! ‘mione, I want you to feel safe when you sleep. You say that takes me being in bed with you then that’s what it takes. I find that staying with you is a great perk for me so I don’t mind. I sleep well, you sleep well, what does it matter if a bunch of nosey biddies try to get into our business? Madam Pomfrey and McGonnagall are the only people that really have a say in this and we already know that one of them is okay with it.” countered Ginny with a smile.

“Well, Professor Cottington has a bit of a say about it as well but she already told me that she didn’t mind on our first night back so I don’t think it will be a problem if we make it more permanent.” added Hermione, her pedantic nature demanding that she complete the picture. It would probably bother her otherwise and necessitate her making the correction later.

“See, then no problem. I am very happy to be with you. You are my girlfriend and you make me happy. That’s what matters. That’s all that matters. So stop complaining and enjoy the cuddling.” ordered Ginny with a stern look, shaking her finger at Hermione.

“Yes ma’am.” said Hermione, grabbing her bag as she stood.

The two of them began to head out of the Library, with Hermione waving good night to Madam Pince, earning a slight smile in response. She was well aware that she had irritated the woman earlier today when she had barged in and taken the book but now it looked like all was well. Ginny almost fainted at the sight, earning her a swat on the arm from her girlfriend. Conversation between them was light and happy as they made their way up the four floors necessary to get to Gryffindor Tower, holding hands the whole way and each girl enjoying the closeness. They climbed into the common room and Hermione noticed that there seemed to be little bit of an issue, though it wasn’t a loud ruckus. “Gin I’ll…”

“See you at the room.” Ginny said with a smile as she took Hermione’s bag from her shoulder and walked off to the stairs.

Hermione headed over to where she had spotted a third year girl sort of curled up into one of the corner chairs, as if she were trying to ignore the rest of the world and hide. Her sense of the out of place, honed by her time being chased by the Snatchers, really coming in to play as it seemed as if no one else had noticed or registered this. Hermione could tell at a glance that there were no other third year girls in the room. This was a bit atypical and concerned her some, which is what caught her attention in the first place. The girl in question, Maggie if she remembered correctly, was usually surrounded with friends, being somewhat popular, so why she was alone warranted investigating. Something had to be wrong.

She stopped a few feet away from the chair and asked softly, “Maggie?”

The girl started, turning to face her, clearly surprised that someone had come over to her. When she looked up at Hermione her eyes went wide and it was clear that she had been crying. That look of both fear and surprise made her heart go out to the girl. What was going on? “Are you okay?”

Maggie shook her head no, a new spate of silent tears beginning to fall. Clearly seeing Hermione brought up whatever she was trying to avoid. She curled in to herself a bit tighter, as if for protection.

Hermione crouched down next to the chair and asked quietly, trying to keep others from noticing what was happening. She concentrated and wandlessly and silently cast something to obfuscate them. It wasn’t much but it should keep people from focusing on them. “What’s wrong?”

“I… I was coming back from seeing a friend of mine in Hufflepuff when I was stopped by a group of fourth or fifth year Slytherins. I don’t know for sure, but they were older.” Maggie looked scared and upset, her eyes clearly showing that her fear hadn’t dissipated a whole lot. They darted about as if expecting an attack even here in the Gryffindor common room.

Hermione was starting to get angry. This was not what she needed this year. She had just wanted to do her studies and build her relationship with Ginny. Had that really been too much to ask? “And what did they do?”

“They said it was good that a filthy muggle lover like my Mum had died during the War and that it would have been better for everyone if a worthless half-blood like me would have gone as well. They said I should have spared my betters the need to put up with me and if I was smart I would correct that oversight.” Maggie’s tears turned into sobs and Hermione leaned in and hugged the girl, pulling her close to give her what comfort she could.

The heat of her sudden anger was banked with an older cold fury. This was a serious issue and something that needed to be stepped on before it grew. It was already too dangerous and problematic in her opinion. Cameron needed to hear about this as did Professor Slughorn, but first she need the names of these people so she could nip this issue in the bud. She would show those arrogant bastards just what had happened that spring that they had apparently missed. Clearly they were not up on their current affairs if they thought that bullshit blood purity crap was going to fly. Not in her Hogwarts! “Do you know who it was that did this to you? Know any names?”

Maggie shook her head, the tears leaving white streaks down her red face. “I don’t really know any of the Slytherins in any of the years, or at all, so I can’t recall any of their names. And I can’t really remember their faces very well either. They all seem a little blurry to me right now. I… I think they were happily involved in the patrols around the castle last year. I… I’m really scared Hermione. It was like they had hunted me.”

“Maggie, do you trust me?” she asked, looking the girl in the eye, as she wiped some of the tears from the girl’s face with a thumb.

“Yes. Why wouldn’t I? You’re Hermione Granger.” Maggie replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, as if she had asked if water was wet.

Hermione managed not to sigh, somewhat annoyed at that reputation despite its occasional usefulness. Was that what Harry felt all the time? That people had this image of her being a certain way and it took over who she actually was in their minds? If so she could understand his irritation with it. “I promise you that I will go after these idiots and I will take care of them for you, okay. I will deal with them and they will not bother anyone again after that. And then, when I am done,  I will turn what’s left of them over to the school. Will that be okay?”

Maggie smiled faintly, clearly cheered somewhat by the threat of violence upon them. “Thank you.”

Thinking about the decoration on her left forearm and what idiots like those Maggie described would think about it, she smiled half-heartedly. Given what those particular Slytherin’s had said to the girl, they were certainly making this whole issue more and more personal for her. The bullying, the blood status bullshit, the asking her to kill herself, this was an issue she definitely wanted to stomp into the ground and grind under her heel. “It will be alright Maggie. I know that they were terrible and said the worst possible things they could to you, but you need to remember that the reason they are doing this is that they are all just scared little fools trying to make themselves feel more important than they really are. You are so much better than them because you did not need to rub their noses into anything to feel good about yourself. If you haven’t taunted any Slytherins, than you are better and should stay that way. Now go on up to your friends, you know that they will be better to cry on than me and will help you feel better. Give me a few days to try and clear this up and it should be safe to walk around alone again. Until then, keep safe.”

Maggie hugged her tightly, “Thank you Hermione. You’re the best.”

With that the girl left and headed up stairs towards the rest of her friends. Hermione smiled at that sign, knowing that she had at least made a start towards helping that girl feel better. The smile then shifted into a frown as she thought about what she would have to do in order to uphold her promise to Maggie. Finding a specific group of Slytherin bullies might be tricky but she could do it, she was certain of it. First she had to learn the names of the boys in question so she could keep her eyes out for them on the map and then she would need to try and focus on making sure that she could be aware of where they were as often as possible. If only she had more details to go off of. With the boys faces blurred, which was easily managed several ways, that made even verifying what year they were in tough enough. If it were a confundus spell that she had been hit with then maybe that fact was not accounted for and thus left out? She would have to think on the matter. If she did it right she could really nip this in the bud and ensure that no other Slytherin or anyone else for that matter tried anything like it again for the rest of the year. This idiocy had already befouled the school enough in previous years and she was not going to stand for it anymore. A little investigating and then she could take care of things once and for all.

She yawned a little and decided that she had done enough for the day, actually more than enough. Today had been absolutely crazy, with her running about and facing the Headmistress, the Minister of Magic and finally the Director of Gringotts in an all-out frenzy of arguing her way into and out of something. Right now there was nothing she wanted more than to take a hot bath and fall into bed so she could cuddle against her redhead, hoping that tomorrow would be far less insane. Why couldn’t she just have a normal school year? It wasn’t fair.

And the saddest thing of all was that Harry wasn’t even here to take the blame for all of this chaos. It was usually his fault, it was generally always his fault when things went like this, but no, this time she couldn’t just shove the blame onto him and be done with it. No her already screwy school year was entirely her own responsibility and blame, well hers, Ginny, and Luna’s. That thought made her groan and pinch the bridge of her nose as if that could relieve the pressure that was building. Couldn’t this just be dumped on her best friend even remotely? Maybe just say it was Harry fault just because, as if he had tainted her, given her a disease or something? Oh Madam Pomfrey you have to help me, I have a terminal case of Potter! Unfortunately, her own mind wouldn’t let her use such a cheap escape from responsibility and that annoyed her. And now looking at her little group… what were they, since they couldn’t be the Golden Trio or even the Silver Trio, since that had practically been claimed. The Estrogen Trio? The Femme Trio? The Pink Trio? Maybe something worse, something better? Maybe she should just quit while she was behind and just sink in that tub and forget about things for a while. Sometimes life was so unfair and messed up that it hurt and today felt like one of those times. She leaned in towards the lion at the top of the stairs and whispered the password to let herself into her room, “Nargles.”

Her breath caught in her throat and that train of thought, all trains of thought derailed in a messy crash as she took in the astonishing sight before her. The room was bathed in the warm flickering glow of several candles that were scattered all about the room on the different available flat surfaces. The light from the candles was softer than the intensity of the oil lamps that were normally used for lighting and it cast her room in a whole new look. But what really took everything away, both thought and breath, was the stunning young woman standing before her with one knee cocked, next to the bed with a coy little come hither look on her face.

Ginny’s vibrant red hair was down, spilling over her bare shoulders, the thin spaghetti straps of her royal blue nightgown barely visible through her hair. The mix of satin and lace that played over her, stopping mid-thigh, looked amazing on her pale, freckled skin, the material seeming like water in the candlelight. Hermione was spellbound, her mouth falling open of its own accord.

Crooking a finger, Ginny beckoned Hermione forward. Obeying the summons, the brown haired girl walked into the room, letting the door swing closed behind her, her steps awkward as if her body was suddenly uncoordinated and no longer under her control. “I…  Gin… wha…”

Her voice was stopped as Ginny stepped forward, closing the distance between them and pressed a finger lightly against Hermione’s lips. “Shhhh… it’s okay, don’t argue… this is for you… for us. I know I may not have said this before but you are my hero Hermione and today proved that to me all over again. Honestly, how many women get to say that they are dating true Heroes? Besides Luna I can’t really think of any at the moment. You are an absolutely incredible woman and I am so in awe of the fact that you want to be with me. I have no idea why you would but I am thankful for it. I want you. Just that, I want you. I have wanted you for a while now but now I can’t fight it anymore. So tonight is all about my hero getting a welcome home after the war, the welcome home that she truly deserves.”

Even when Ginny began to undress her, slipping the Gryffindor cardigan from her shoulders, as it had been cool that evening, Hermione was still too flabbergasted to talk. The redhead leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips, soft and gentle, more of a promise of things to come and then pulled back, undoing her tie, pulling it free from around her neck. Brown eyes locked on brown eyes and Ginny was clearly trying to let her know what she was feeling through looks alone. Hermione’s heart rate began to quicken as she took in the look that Ginny was giving her, it was a look of raw desire, of want, of need, a feeling exactly like she herself was feeling. That only spurred on her desire for the redhead and she could feel herself begin to grow wet with the thought of where this was hopefully leading. Button by button her shirt was undone until they were all unfastened. With a slight tug, the shirt came free of her skirt and Ginny pulled it open and slightly down her arms.

Stepping in again, she began to plant tiny kisses on Hermione’s neck, causing her to drop her neck back and to the side, providing the redhead with more and easier access to the skin there. The occasional bites made her gasp and she could feel her nipples tighten as the sensations filled her with pleasure. Pleasure just rolled up and down her spine and she was so lost in the feelings that were filling her that she barely registered her blouse falling to the floor as it was slipped from her shoulders. Ginny kissed up her neck, across her jawline and then captured her lips, her kiss strong and passionate, gaining entry immediately as Hermione yielded to her.

Hermione’s hands tangled themselves in Ginny’s hair and she could feel one hand begin running up and down her back, while another traveled down and cupped one cheek of her ass. She moaned into Ginny’s mouth as the girl squeezed slowly, the pressure increasing steadily to a nice firm grip. Suddenly, the lips left hers as they began to travel down her leaving a trail, down the other side of her neck, kissing the area of her breasts not covered by the cups of her bra, down farther until Ginny was kneeling before her. All she could do was pant longingly.

Hermione looked down the length of her body, past her smallish breasts, past the ever so slight pooch of her belly and into the dark eyes looking up at her, filled with hunger and need. There was something about that image, that moment where Ginny gazed up at her with eyes filled with lust that spurred her desire even more and her wetness became even more easily felt, practically soaking her underwear. She moaned, a guttural sound of pure pleasure. Ginny’s hands slid down her right calf and pulled off her shoe. This was followed by the other and then her strong hands slid back up. With a brief flutter of her hands, Ginny began to pull down Hermione’s skirt. Once it was past her hips it was left to fall to the floor, pooling around her feet and across Ginny’s knees.

Ginny then slowly worked the tights from Hermione’s legs, kissing freshly exposed flesh as she did so, alternating legs, kissing and letting her tongue slide down the smooth flesh. Hermione’s eyes closed as she lost herself to the feel of Ginny’s lips on her skin. Once Hermione stepped out of her hose, Ginny rose back up, hands trailing along her girlfriend’s sides. Hermione trembled, the touch was soft enough to lightly tickle but instead of getting a laugh the sensation was more erotic than anything else. Now standing, Ginny looked Hermione in her eyes and stepped backwards, moving ever closer to the bed, her grin growing a good bit more seductive as she moved.

Following obediently as if pulled by an invisible string, Hermione stepped carefully over the discarded clothes, as tripping would have completely ruined the mood that had been set by her girlfriend. Ginny climbed onto the bed, showing clearly that she had on a pair of panties that matched the nightgown and cupped her ass beautifully. Hermione was nearly transfixed. The girl looked over her shoulder and asked, “Won’t you join me?”

It took no time at all for the two of them to be on the bed and kissing again, with Ginny turning Hermione over so that she was on all fours above the curly headed girl, leaning into their kiss. She lowered one of Hermione’s bra straps and then the other, not pausing the kissing while she did so. She leaned back as Hermione sat up and unhooked her bra, she then flung it away, not caring where it landed, just wanting to get back to the kissing and the wonderful feel of Ginny’s hands on her. Ginny stayed where she was, brown eyes locked on her breasts, barely noticing the still somewhat purplish red scar that traveled diagonally across her chest. As Ginny’s eyes drank her in a blissful smile grew to cover her face, her whole face filled with joy. Her voice was practically reverent when she murmured, “Beautiful.”

Hermione blushed and fought against the urge to cover herself, feeling that her scars made her flawed, imperfect but the gaze was almost too intense, too devout to hide from. Instead she sat up again, put her arms around the girl’s neck and pulled Ginny back into a kiss saying, “We were doing something. Admire later.”

They lowered back down onto the bed and continued kissing. Ginny slid a hand up Hermione’s side and began to trace the edges of one of her breasts, causing her to gasp slightly in surprise, as all her sensations were so much stronger than before. The hand then came up and cupped the whole breast, her palm brushing lightly over the erect nipple. She squeezed gently and Hermione redoubled her kissing intensity as it felt so good, making her desire grow even more.

Hermione’s hands roamed, along Ginny’s sides and up her back, moving under the satiny material of the nightgown. When their lips parted she muttered in a husky voice, “You are too clothed.”

It was a very Weasley grin that was returned to her just before Ginny winked at her and said, “Emoveo.”

The nightgown whisked away, vanishing right from her body and Hermione blinked at her a few times before she grinned ferally at her now naked girlfriend. She chuckled and said happily, “Oh I love magic.”

Hands continued moving over Ginny’s back and shoulders, drinking in the feel of her skin, the play of the muscles underneath, while kisses kept raining down on her neck, with occasional bites to her earlobes. It was getting harder and harder for Hermione to focus on what she was doing as she was drowning in what Ginny was doing to her and she never wanted to come up from that. The redhead then kissed her way down her chest and then began to run her tongue around one of her nipples, tracing the outer edges of her areola. Hermione arched her back some, trying to force her breast into more contact but Ginny simply moved back, chiding her softly, “Come now Kitten, let me do this my way.”

“Kitten?” asked Hermione, confused with this nickname.

Instead of answering, Ginny leaned back in and used her tongue to flick the already erect nipple. With a gasp, as a bolt of pleasure shot through her and down to her melting center, Hermione lost track of things, giving in completely to the sensations and Ginny lavished attention to her breasts, sucking and lightly nipping the modest sized mounds, occasionally playing with the nipple directly to coax louder sounds from her. Moaning in pleasure, Hermione tried to control her writhing, but her body simply felt so good that it was all she could do to respond to the feelings as they arose, her body moving with its needs. One of her hands tangled itself in Ginny’s hair, not holding the girl in place but simply enjoying the feel of her hair as it slid through her fingers. Her world was descending into nothing more than a blur of pleasure.

One of Ginny’s hands moved down her abdomen and the fingers slipped within the waistband of her panties, moving through her pubic hair in circles, drawing ever closer to her swollen lips. This elicited a whine from her and she rocked her hips up, hoping to rush the contact, craving this, wanting more and more sensation, needing Ginny to touch her, to take her, to make Hermione her own. Ginny again controlled the pace of things, lifting her fingers up and away from her body. Hermione whimpered in need, looking up at her with imploring eyes, begged breathily, “Ginny.”

Ginny rose up and grinned at her, possessively, clearly enjoying this power she had over the older girl. Hermione flushed under her gaze, as the girl’s fingers kept drawing closer, now tracing the outer portion of her lips, drifting in and then moving out, never close enough to provide relief but close enough to make her breath start to shorten. After letting her eyes trail over Hermione’s breasts again, she bent down and took one of them into her mouth, sucking on the nipple and biting on it gently making her girlfriend gasp at the mix of pleasure and pain and that shot right down to her core, making it throb even harder. At the same moment Ginny slid her middle finger down and between the folds, into the great pool of moisture that waited at Hermione’s entrance.

Hooking her finger, she dragged some of that fluid up and then used that to slick things up as she her finger began to trace around, searching for Hermione’s clitoris in this new and untraveled territory. It took her a bit of discovery but she finally found where it was positioned as a pleasure filled sharp intake of breath gave it away. The sound of her moans increased as well as how they rumbled in her chest, as Hermione gave herself over to what she was feeling and lost herself in the ecstasy. All she was aware of were the pulses of pleasure from her breasts, neck and clitoris, the pressure within building higher, her breath so full, so shallow, catching, coming in pants, her head turning back and forth, her hair whipping about, her hands trying to hold onto something, anything, nothing, but the sheets wouldn’t quite work and her arms kept knocking pillows from the bed and the headboard was solid and there was not quite anything to hold onto and her hips just kept rocking and rocking and rocking and there, right there, oh yes right there, oh Ginny, please Ginny, keep it up right there, oh god, oh yes, oh Merlin, oh yes, oh faster, oh please, oh faster, oh Ginny, oh god, oh Ginny, right there, oh god, oh yes, oh faster, oh Ginny, oh yes, oh Ginny, oh god, oh guh, guh, oh guh, oh, oh, uh, oh, uh, uh, unh, unnhh, ahh, oh, unnnhhh, aahhh, AHHHHH!!!

Hermione screamed out her pleasure, her voice almost raw with the effort nearly echoing in the room, her back arching up almost painfully, and then she collapsed, falling to the bed. She lay there, feet slightly tangled in the sheets, panting, eyes a bit out of focus, gazing only at the ceiling, legs trembling, and her body limp. Her hand searched blindly for Ginny and the girl moved up alongside her girlfriend, pulling the still quivering girl into her left shoulder. Hermione sighed in pleasure, “Oh Merlin Ginny… that… that was so incredible.”

She looked up and as her eyes focused she noticed that Ginny was sucking her finger clean which made something inside her twinge and clench, giving her yet another electrical jolt of pleasure that shook her body, “Uh…, oh god that’s hot.”

“Oh no Kitten, you are hot. You really have no idea just how sexy you look when you orgasm. So amazingly hot. It got me a little and I wasn’t even touching myself at the time.” answered Ginny with a smile and a slight shudder of her own as the thought caressed her.

“Kitten? There that is again… you’ve called me that before. Why are you calling me that?” asked Hermione curiously.

Ginny blushed a little and looked away, her voice a little unsure. “It’s uh… your nickname.”

“I figured that Gin. No, the question was, where did you come up with it?” asked Hermione looking the redhead in the eyes.

“Well, aren’t you my cute and dangerous sex kitten?” teased Ginny with a smirk.

“Oh god!” lamented Hermione, burying her face into Ginny’s shoulder. She remembered the conversation in question from when they were on the bus coming back from London and it didn’t make her feel any better. “Please no…”

“But Kitten…” Ginny’s grin was very happy and infectious.

“Don’t you start with me.” Hermione glowered at her, shaking a finger at her.

“Too late, I already did and you liked it if the moans were any indication. Now did you want to keep… playing or are you too tired. I wanted to give you the option since I knew you had a big day.” said Ginny, neatly sidestepping the whole issue.

Hermione looked into Ginny’s eyes and could tell that they were still dark with desire and they stoked the flames of hers back up again. The light sheen of sweat on the redhead’s body looked lovely in the candlelight and the way the shadows played across her body, her breasts, just made Hermione want her. Hermione licked her lips, her mouth watering a little and wanted this more than she wanted sleep. “Well, now that we have started this I absolutely demand equal time. Just to let you know I am not going to bed until I have had a taste of my own girl. You started this Ginevra, but I’m going to finish it.”

Ginny could barely contain her squeal of glee.


	24. Chapter 24

Twenty-four

It was a couple of days later after the first time they had had sex and Hermione was still grinning about the other night, inordinately pleased with herself. It had been so wonderful, so unexpected and if she thought back to those events parts of her body would tingle in memory. Sure she had not gotten as much sleep as she should have that night and she had been tired for a good portion of the day, fighting against dozing in class but it had so totally been worth it. The sounds Ginny made, the feel of her skin, and her taste… Hermione’s eyes fluttered and she had to shake her head to clear it so she could try to focus back on the classwork she was doing. Granted they were in the practical portion of Ancient Runes at the moment so she could spare a few moments to indulge in such blatantly libidinous thoughts but still there was a time and a place for everything and now was not it. But oh what a lovely indulgence that little moment had been. She sighed in pleasure. They would have to do that again and soon.

This was her last class of the day and then she had her meeting with Madam Pomfrey. She looked over her work, making a few minor corrections to several complex rune sets in order to ensure they were as precise as possible before she was finished with her in class work. She was still at the top of this class, having been so far ahead due to her self-paced advanced work that her missed year had not really dropped her behind any one or far enough for her grades to be close enough for any other student to displace her from first place. It was a subject she enjoyed and that she found eminently practical seeing as it allowed a person to do some amazingly complex things that lasted over a long period of time if they just took the time to find the best rune set and pattern to accomplish their particular goal. When combined with Arithomancy the runes could then yield some amazing advances in magic. There was clear value in this particular set of skills and she was trying to apply the Marauder style thinking to the field with her muggle knowledge base to see if she could come up with any new ideas. The Marauders also had extensive notes on the subject, having used rather complex runic chains to help in their creation of their mirrors and the map. In fact it seemed as if Remus had also enjoyed both of these subjects.

One item she kept coming back to the more she thought about it because of how just useful they seemed was the Marauders mirrors. They were a simply brilliant piece of work and from how everything appeared they did not have an issue with distance affecting the image or sound quality. The transmission was pretty much perfect each and every time, even when the mirror itself was broken, as Harry had proven with the shard he had used with Aberforth. Now if she could just find a way to make them a bit more universal then she just might be able to find a way to create a wizarding version of cellular phones. The overarching problem was that the universality issue was so amazingly complex that she was sure it was going to take her a while to figure this one out. And how could she ensure that the mirrors were otherwise private and secure if she did manage to solve the universality problem? Maybe she could get Luna to help? There really was no one who thought more out of the box than the blond, to the point where the box wasn’t visible anymore. This problem was certainly one that would require that kind of thinking to accomplish her goals. Luna was so unique and had such a different outlook on the world that she would be a valuable research partner.

And what if she could make her new music player more portable, like a portable CD player with a built in radio? There were just so many ideas she had bouncing around in her head thanks to Remus’s gift that her original notion of working in the Ministry was fading the more she thought about it. But that certainly didn’t eliminate her huge desire to fix some of the glaring problems that she saw in wizarding society. She was so conflicted on the matter and she really had no idea what to do.

That reminded her of a task and made her frown a bit. She had something she needed to do and she really needed to stop avoiding it. Putting this task off was not going to help matters any and might even serve to make things worse in the long run. No, despite all of her worries and fears over the matter she had to go downstairs and take care of a problem she had avoided to the best of her ability because of the pain it caused. It was her mess and she had to clean it up. It was only right. Even with all that resolve it still took a glance at her forearm to really get her moving.

Once class was over she packed up everything, putting it into her book bag and headed downstairs towards the kitchens, specifically towards a particular painting near the Hufflepuff dorms. Once she reached it she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try and center herself and calm her racing heart. She could do this as it really needed to be done but she was afraid. What would they say? Would they reject her? She simply didn’t know and that fear almost made her walk away. She swallowed heavily, reminding herself that she was a Gryffindor, took another deep breath and opened her eyes. She tickled the pear and as the door opened she made her way inside. Once down in the vast kitchens of Hogwarts she waited until she spotted a house elf that seemed to have paused briefly in their labors. “Excuse me.”

The elf turned looking quite helpful until it saw who it was, and then they looked a bit upset and somewhat conflicted, as if struggling with something. Hermione sighed, now knowing that she deserved this treatment and was currently trying to take care of this situation. “May I please speak with the Elf in charge?”

The house elf stared at her, as if she were up to something and she held her hands open, showing that she was hiding nothing in them. There was no knowing if that would make a difference or not but it was the best she had. And the fact that it seemed like she needed to do that hurt even more. She made absolutely sure that there was nothing even remotely clothes like that could fall out or slip out anywhere near this discussion. This conversation was too important for her to make such a stupid mistake. She owed it to Dobby to get this right the first time because she wasn’t sure if she would be given a second. He had been a good friend and deserved far better than he had gotten. The elf disappeared and she breathed a slight sigh of relief.

“Yes Miss Grangy? I am Poesy, the Head Elf.” The female elf that stood before her was old, not Kreacher old to be sure but older than most any other elf she had seen. She did not look as broken or defeated as Harry’s inherited elf either but was healthy and upright, looking her directly in the eyes without fear.

Hermione smiled and nodded. It made her happy to see a house elf that looked so healthy and happy. It more than anything else told her that she had been basing her entire movement off of somewhat faulty information. Sure there were terrible Masters but that did not hold that all of them were. “Yes, thank you for seeing me Posey. I… uh… first off, it was so busy after the battle that I forgot to thank you all for the wonderful help you gave us in defending the school. You all were just brilliant. I don’t know if Harry or Ron remembered to say anything about it afterwards, so for the three of us, I want to say thank you from the bottoms of our hearts. You certainly helped save Hogwarts and the wizarding world.”

The House Elf looked a bit confused and embarrassed at that, clearly not expecting to have heard anyone say such a thing to her and that showed in her voice as she said, “Thank you Miss Grangy. I will tell the others.”

“Could you also tell the others that I will no longer be leaving out any clothes or anything like that for you all. I am also terribly sorry for doing that to you all. I… I thought what I was doing was the right thing in trying to free you all but I was wrong, very wrong.” She was starting to get more and more emotional as she spoke, the complex and deep feelings she had for Dobby creeping into her voice.

“Miss Grangy…”

“Please allow me finish. In the muggle world we see slavery as this cruel and inhuman thing where people own other people and work them cruelly, with no regard at all for the person they have enslaved. It is a terrible thing that horrifies most muggles and we have been working to wipe this practice out to the best of our ability for hundreds of years. It is now fairly rare in public and has been forced into secrecy. So then I hear about Dobby and how his family treated him and I thought that this was how House Elves were always treated by other wizarding families. Then I heard about Winky and then Kreacher, all of whom sort of proved what I had thought. However I know I jumped to conclusions without ever actually asking any of you what you wanted or even how you saw any of this. I never took the time to get any of your opinions on this matter because I was sure that I knew best, knowing better than you who had been fooled into thinking this was the right way to be. Hagrid tried to tell me different but I was so sure that I was right that I ignored him and his advice. But after Dobby died while saving me and then you all helping to save all of us, I was made to think about this matter more. In addition, well over this summer Harry told me what Dobby had done while I was trying to free you all, collecting the hats I had made and being forced into having to clean Gryffindor Tower all by himself, it shook me up, all of this has shaken me up. So yes, I am tremendously sorry for trying to force something onto you all without asking any of you about it. I am so sorry for never bothering to talk to you about something so basic and simple, acting like I knew best when I really didn’t. Please forgive me.” Hermione bowed her head, looking down at her feet and her heart ached, thinking about that tiny grave on a dune alongside Shell Cottage where a brave and loyal friend was buried. She wouldn’t be alive right now if it weren’t for him, they wouldn’t have won the war if it weren’t for him, and she wouldn’t have Ginny if it weren’t for him so she owed it all to Dobby to do the right thing. How could she do any less?

“Miss Grangy… thank you for telling us this. We did not know how muggles saw things and always wondered why muggleborn seemed so upset by us. We thought you were hating us and thought us bad elves. This whole time you have been worried for us. Thank you. You are not like we thought. You are forgiven. You really are a great witch Hermione Granger, just like Dobby said.” The older House Elf came up and hugged her leg.

Hermione began to cry in relief. She had been so hurt when she had heard what had happened, that Dobby had been forced into cleaning the whole off Gryffindor tower himself because of her foolish actions since no other house elf would set foot in the Tower. It had certainly driven home the importance of researching and thinking things through, of not just jumping in with her first impulse. She had made a right mess of things but amends had been made and she had learned her lesson. She had done what she had promised to Dobby once she had found out and fixed the problem. She sniffled and wiped her face, “Thank you.”

“You be needing anything?” The elf asked gently, clearly concerned for her.

“No thank you Posey. Dinner will be soon enough and I can wait for that. It smells like it will be wonderful. I just wanted to come down here and take care of that. It was important to me and I just wanted to let you all know.” Hermione dabbed at the tears at the corners of her eyes and smiled at the House Elf.

The aged elf smiled and patted her knee, saying, “Okay. I’ll make sure Topsy brings you and your Weezy something nice tonight.”

That made Hermione blush. Honestly, did everyone in the castle know her business? “My what?”

“You and Miss Weasley. We knows you are together. Everyone knows.” The elderly House Elf smiled, showing her teeth, clearly happy with this.

“Thank you. I… I should go so I am not late for my appointment with Madam Pomfrey. Goodbye and thank you again. I will come back and talk to you later.” Hermione’s cheeks were still red as she left.

As she walked away she could barely believe that a House Elf managed to embarrass her. Ginny would crack up over that finding it one of the funniest things ever. So would Ron and Harry now that she thought about it. George would appreciate it as well if she wanted to spread her embarrassment out and around through the greater community of her friends. At least the worst thing Luna would do to her would be to grin at her. She shook her head. At least she got that done and had fulfilled her promise to Dobby. It made her feel better. Sure she wanted to do something to ensure that House Elves we well treated everywhere but she was sure she needed to find a better way to go about it than what she had first planned. Getting into the Ministry and trying to change the laws that way didn’t really appeal to her. However, despite dealing with that awkward situation, now she had to deal with the actually uncomfortable portion of her afternoon.

Moving through the halls towards the Medical wing, she felt a sense of dread fill her. She was sure that this upcoming conversation was going to be tough and upsetting. What was she going to do? She liked Simon and to have to tell him that she knew about the abuse he had endured would be difficult at best and nearly impossible at worst. Until she knew what the specific options were, everything about this particular situation was simply up in the air and a bit vague. She really hated that, preferring to know exactly what she could do and could not do rather than walk into things blind.

It wasn’t easy but she did manage to get her mind off the meeting, at least enough for her to think about the fact that she needed to set up an appointment with Headmistress McGonnagall to help her figure out what she really wanted to do as a career when she got out of school. She also spend some time thinking about sending Harry a letter asking his advice about how to tell Ron about her. She was still at a complete loss as to how to tell him about her being a lesbian not to mention that she was in love with his sister. How do you tell the young man you used to be in love with that there really is no more hope for them? How do you tell him that you were sleeping with his sister? If Ginny was the one to tell him she was certain that it would only make matters worse, based on how the two of them seemed to grate on each other’s nerves in most situations. It was no stretch of the imagination to gather that he would rant and rave about how Ginny had stolen her from him or some such nonsense. Of course it was complete poppycock but that was often par for the course when Ron got mad. He really was a great guy and she loved him dearly but when he was mad his brain was removed to be replaced by something else entirely. This situation was completely unlike fun and she had no idea how to get past it since she wanted to tell Ron before telling Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. It was only fair that he know before them. That is unless Ginny had other plans.

Her nerves kept building and winding tighter until she reached the medical wing as her digression hadn’t really helped in the whole keeping her calm. She walked inside and saw that there were thankfully no students there, which would make this conversation far easier. Witnesses would have only complicated matters and she really did not need complicated right now. Hermione went over to Madam Pomfrey’s office door and knocked, partially hoping that the woman would not be there. The nurse’s voice called out, “Come in.”

Madam Pomfrey was filling out some paperwork when she entered, the quill scratching away on the parchment. “Ah good… Miss Granger, right on time.”

“Of course, Madam Pomfrey, you implied that there was something important to talk about?” asked Hermione, worry clear in her voice.

“Yes, I did. I gathered from what you had said about Mister Potter that Mister Cresswell might have been treated in a manner similar to how Mister Potter’s relatives treated him. So I did look for those signs as you know with my diagnostic spell. Unfortunately, as I let you know, there were indications. He has had enough recent and long term abuse that I believe we might be able to take action to remove him from his environment. No child should ever have to endure this and I am still upset with Albus for keeping Harry at that place. However I am worried about Mister Cresswell, do you think he might be ready to talk about this situation? Without his input on this, letting us know what exactly has transpired, I am afraid our actions are rather limited.”

Hermione looked thoughtful as she ran this through her mind. Would Simon want to talk about this, the abuse he had endured? Harry did everything he could to avoid the topic and still sort of danced around the topic if given the chance. Knowing that provided her with a far better guess then she would have been able to otherwise make. “So fundamentally what you are saying is that we have to get him to tell us what is going on back at his home so that we know if he is in any real danger or what else may be occurring if it is coming from somewhere else. This would enable us to determine how much we can interfere or to what degree.”

It was a very friendly and proud smile that Madam Pomfrey turned on Hermione. “You always were very bright Miss Granger. I do think that we need to get more from him on this subject and then we can take this to the Headmistress. Or perhaps we simply need to go to her directly. I am not entirely sure. I do know that there is no need to spread around his information without justification. You only know about this because you were the one who alerted me and I know you would have not stopped until you had gotten something back on the matter. Sometimes you are far too tenacious for your own good. And I am well aware that you are quite circumspect.”

She did have the grace to blush at that, not used to being praised for hiding information. “I think I can get him to tell me but I’m not sure. Maybe. At least I hope I can get him to tell me. I’m a bit worried about how to go about it though. I don’t want to drive him away because I am prying too much which could very well happen.”

“Then I suggest you let him get used to you a bit more. That way he will build up more of an attachment and feel more inclined to confide in you. There is no chance of him returning to his family until Christmas at the very least so he is quite safe here until then. There is no need to rush things and cause him undue trauma.”

“But from what he told me he has younger siblings.” commented Hermione, biting her lower lip nervously. This was one part of the situation that was causing her the biggest worries and she was fairly certain that it was doing the same to Simon. “Shouldn’t we find out if they might be in any danger as well?”

The matron pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly not having been aware of that particular complicating factor. “Okay… give him a little bit longer to get comfortable but not too long. We don’t want the siblings to be in any danger if that is indeed the situation. I will make some inquiries to see if I can have someone look in on the family, to ensure that his siblings are okay. I will also stress that they are to do it discretely.”

Hermione sighed, some of the tension she had been holding in releasing. If helping to take care of Simon’s brother and sister was really that easy then she would be quite surprised. She had far, far too much experience with things going awry at the most inopportune moments. “That’s wonderful Madam Pomfrey. I am just really worried about Simon and am not sure what to do about all of this. It is kind of overwhelming and nothing I have read has prepared me for this.”

Madam Pomfrey reached over and patted Hermione on the arm soothingly, clearly empathizing with her. “You are doing just fine. Showing such compassion for a younger House mate is one of the signs of a wonderful Head Girl and is indeed one of the traits that have made you so beloved by the staff. Once you can get some of that information from Mister Cresswell we can then proceed from there and find the best means to help him.”

Blushing slightly under the praise, Hermione said, “Thank you Madam Pomfrey. At least I know that there seems to be a plan to take care of this situation. My only worry is that I know what would be done in the muggle world but I have no idea what sorts of things would be done here in the magical world to deal with this issue.”

“I completely understand. Since you were not raised in this society there are lots of things that you would not be acquainted with. In this situation, if there is abuse proven, Simon will be able to be taken from his home and placed with another magical family or an appropriate magical guardian. If his siblings or even just one of them are also magical they may be placed with another family as well depending on the severity of the charge, though sadly siblings in these situations do not always end up together. It often depends on the financial situation of the receiving family. Given what I can tell happened to Mister Cresswell physically, if he confirms that it was indeed abuse, specifically from his family, then he and any other magical siblings will be gone as well.” clarified Madam Pomfrey, making sure Hermione knew how things would play out if things had to escalate to the next level.

Hermione nodded, not necessarily pleased with the whole situation but certainly aware that there was very little that she could do about it at this juncture. She just wondered if she would be able to hold her tongue for a while, to keep from jumping in and asking Simon about all of this right away. All that patience she had learned during the Horcrux hunt would need to come in to play here so she could find the right moment to do this. She just hoped that she would be up for it. Or maybe if she were lucky someone else would do it.

Just thinking about the fact that someone had hurt Simon, cute little adorable Simon almost made her blood boil. How could someone be that inhuman? That was just not right, hurting a child like that. Even though she could not understand how anyone could do that, she could grasp the fact that there were people like that. It let her know that the urge to become something like a Death Eater was not limited to just pureblood bigots. There were lots of idiots like that everywhere and that sort of thinking was a very human thing to do and not something confined to either the magical or muggle worlds. This kind of repugnant inhumanity was sadly one of the defining characteristics of humanity, the fact that people could be at such extremes. She had to close her eyes and swallow her gorge that was rising at the thought of what some of those terrible people were capable of, what they would do to achieve their twisted aims, for their deviant pleasure, to vent their anger. She was glad that none of the absolute worst of that had happened to Simon but she had heard enough of that kind of nightmare life from Harry to know that it had happened to someone she loved.

Maybe that would be a good idea after getting the information, have Simon talk to Harry about all of this. Since they both would have somewhat shared experiences it would give them a point of contact. There was also a bonus in the fact that this would give him someone similar to look up too. The problem was that Harry was currently stressed over so much thanks to this damn war so there was no telling if he would be able to even talk with Simon at all.

And then there was the fact that Ron was training to be an Auror and from what Harry’s last letter said he was training along with Neville. That was something that she had trouble believing but was apparently true. Two of her friends were training together, and Neville of all people. There were several other people who had survived the battle that spring that were currently training to be Aurors as well. She just had to shake her head, saddened by that fact. A whole year of students was mostly going in to the Auror corps all because a little boy who had grown up in an orphanage had been afraid to die. Tom bloody Riddle had been a damn coward and so many other people had to change their life goals or had their dreams crushed because of him and his fear. She shivered at the thought and walked towards the Gryffindor Tower, desperately needing a hug right then.

Winding through the halls, moving ever upwards, she heard a sound that set off all her warnings, the faint noises of a scuffle and her wand was instantly in her hand. She started running towards the direction of the sound, more on her toes than landing on her heels, making her steps quieter. She rounded the corner nearest the sounds of conflict, wand at the ready and all that was there was a second year Hufflepuff boy with his robes wrapped around his head, muffling his cries for help and flailing about with a jellylegs jinx. After a quick scan of the area to ensure there was no one about to ambush her, she quickly uttered the counter curses to both spells and helped the boy upright. He looked a bit frightened, shying away from her initially. “Are you okay?”

When he settled he seemed quite surprised to see who it was who had saved him and he gaped at her like a fish for a few moments. She smiled at him encouragingly, “Well?”

“I… I’m okay.” He flushed slightly.

“What’s your name?” She asked, staying down closer to his height.

“Walden Burton.”

“Okay Walden, where were you headed?” asked Hermione gently.

“I was headed back towards my common room when these four older Slytherins jumped me. I couldn’t really see who it was because they covered my head too fast.” His voice was a bit shaky, still clearly effected by what had happened to him.

She looked him over quickly and asked, “Are you hurt anywhere?”

He shook his head. “No ma’am.”

Hermione smiled at him, amused with his answer. Being called ma’am was not something she was used to. “That’s good to hear. Well, let’s get you back to your Common Room and then I will see you later.”

They walked through the halls with Hermione on alert, wand still in her hand, eyes scanning everywhere. Sure she was aware that it was probably excessive but she had not survived the war without going a bit far sometimes. If students were attacking other students she was not going to take any more risks than she had to. Once they made it to the door to the Hufflepuff dorms and Walden reached safety she told him, “Well there you go. Could you grab one of the Prefects when you get inside and tell them I’d like to speak with them?”

The second year nodded and ran into the room, clearly happy to be in a safe haven. Hermione backed up until her back was against the wall opposite the door, making sure she was less compromised than she would be otherwise. Knowing that there was a group out there stalking vulnerable students made her nervous, bringing out all of her survival instincts. When the door opened, one of the fifth year Prefects came out looking a touch confused, “Yes Hermione?”

She smiled. It was a good thing that the girl remembered what she had said to them on the train about calling her by her first name. “Yes, apparently Walden was jumped by four Slytherin boys. That might be something you and the others need to keep your eyes out for as I know of at least one Gryffindor girl who was jumped as well possibly by the same four. I will pass this information on to the other Prefects and Cameron, but since I am here right at this moment I thought I would pass it on to you now.”

“Thank you for taking care of him.” The girl said, clearly looking relieved.

“It wasn’t a problem. He was in trouble and it was the least I could do. I am just sorry I could not catch those responsible. I heard some of the scuffle but couldn’t get there fast enough to apprehend them.” Hermione frowned. “We need to be more diligent about that. Well, I must be off. Take care.”

She headed off, grumbling to herself about the stupid fact that now she had other things to do tonight instead of the studying that she had planned on and the time she wanted to spend with friends. Maybe she would be able to catch the other Prefects at dinner and let Cameron know about all of this afterwards as well. That would mean that she could actually get some time in Ginny’s arms at the very least.

It did not take her long to get upstairs as she was moving faster than she usually did due to her irritation. After telling the Fat Lady the password, she walked into the common room and spotted the familiar hair off to the side and moved in that direction. It looked like she was talking to a couple of her year mates and that was a good thing. She smiled, glad that Ginny had some friends however right now she could care less about them, she needed her girlfriend and the other people could go hang for all she cared. She came up behind the redhead and laid a hand on Ginny’s shoulder.

Ginny bent her head backwards with a huge smile on her face. “Hey there ‘mione.”

That smile fell when she took in the girl’s countenance, her brows furrowing in worry. “Hey guys, I’ll talk to you all later. I think my girlfriend needs me.”

Hermione gave her a grateful smile and let Ginny take her by the hand to lead them both upstairs. The redhead gave the password and once they were inside helped Hermione get comfortable, by taking off her shoes and saying, “Get changed. I know you’ll feel better out of your school things.”

Hermione nodded, getting changed into some far more comfortable clothes, an outfit a bit closer to what she used to wear before and during the Horcrux hunt rather than what she was wearing normally now. At the moment all she wanted was comfort and it didn’t matter at the moment if she looked all that cute, though she still accomplished that aim pretty well. Ginny meanwhile had asked Topsy for some tea, and the house elf had happily complied, bringing them a small pot of tea and both chocolate and gingerbread biscuits. Ginny had fallen over when Hermione had told her a bit ago that she really liked gingerbread cookies. When Ginny could breathe again she had clarified the statement and it had promptly earned her a smack to her arm. Now neither of them could even think about those cookies without thinking about Ginny saying rather cockily, “Nah… you just like to eat Gingers.”

Of course later that same evening, when Ginny ate one of the same type of cookies, Hermione countered with, “Wow Gin… you really must be flexible.”

Ginny had spit cookie everywhere.

Right now though, the cookies were helping her mood by making her smile. At the same time Ginny prepared her a cup just the way she liked it and handed it over, “Here you go Kitten. Now what is going on?”

Hermione took a deep sniff of the herbal tea, enjoying the lovely fragrance and then exhaled, “I don’t know if I told you but today I was planning on apologizing to the House Elves for all the things I did when I was running S.P.E.W., like leaving out hats and stuff so I would be freeing them. That had me on edge right there and even though that conversation went well I was really nervous throughout.”

“You did it? You really talked to them?” asked Ginny, stunned by this revelation.

“Well, yes. Of course.” Hermione looked at her as if she couldn’t understand why Ginny was asking that.

“Oh Kitten I am so proud of you. I know that couldn’t have been easy.” Ginny hugged her quickly and kissed her on the forehead.

Hermione blushed and lowered her head. “Well, that wasn’t all. If it was just that I would be okay. After that then I saw Madam Pomfrey to talk about Simon and his whole situation and that made me think about Harry and Death Eaters. It was not an easy conversation to sit through. Then on the way back I ran into a Second Year Hufflepuff who had gotten jumped by some older Slytherins. They had done a number on him and I needed to free him and escort him back to his dorm. So, it has not been a very stress free afternoon for me.” admitted Hermione, sounding a touch frazzled there at the end.

Ginny stood and moved towards the desk, saying, “That sounds like it really sucked. I am so sorry that everything you did today was so stressful. You really didn’t need anything like that.” She headed back towards her with a vial of potion and a bit of the Molly Weasley no nonsense look on her face. “This is one of your half vials for things like this. It is still too soon since you were off your potions for you not to take this. I want you to take the edge off this tension and then finish your tea. Tonight you are going to be taking a relaxing bath and then I will hold you while you sleep. You will not work too late even a little. Are we clear?”

Hermione grinned. Even though she was sure she would have to die if she ever said it aloud, there were times, like this one, where Ginny acted so much like her mother that it was uncanny. Thankfully it mostly seemed to be the best parts of Molly so far and not the more problematic parts. “Yes baby. I will.”

“Thank you for not fighting this Kitten. You know I just want what is best for you. Maybe we can try having me not staying over tomorrow night?”

Hermione frowned a little, pouting just a bit at her.

Ginny chuckled softly, “Or maybe not.”


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: May 2 1998: We will always remember.

Twenty-five

Time passed, as classes picked up in terms of work required and she had made sure to pass on her information about the attacks to Cameron. She hadn’t heard anything about any more attacks by any Slytherin boys on any other students and that made her happy. Maybe, just maybe a warning from Cameron was all that had been needed to cool off some hotheads. She could always hope that was all it took to set things right. Her first round of patrolling the castle simply saw saying bye to Cameron very quickly and just sitting in a classroom with a charmed hourglass which was set for seven minute increments. Whenever it went off she would look at the Marauders Map to see if there was anybody out and about that needed to be dealt with and where Cameron was on his rounds, making sure that everything was safe and secure. Otherwise she kept studying. Most of the way through her ‘patrol’ she stopped a couple of sixth years from snogging who were in a really nicely hidden section of one of the Astronomy Tower that was hard to get to. It seems that they had gotten there when she had taken a break to go to the restroom and she had missed their movement during one of their checks. Needless to say they were quite surprised and embarrassed to have the Head Girl pop in to their ‘secluded’ spot and point out that the particular shade of lipstick did not go with his House colors. Cameron was rather astounded by that as he had no idea how she had done that and she wasn’t sharing, just gave him a jaunty smile and left.

Now if she could just figure out a way to make the Marauder’s Map do what she wanted it to do then everything would be perfect. She hadn’t reached that section of the notes yet but she should be getting close since she was sure that they had had the map for several years before they had graduated, which meant it had to have been around fifth year. That meant that she should read the journal entries on it in the next few weeks at the latest. Then, once she knew the specifics of construction she could make the particular add on that she wanted and then her patrolling would be quite easy. Yes, now all she had to do was juggle reading and studying the journals with everything else she was already reading and studying for her NEWTs. Easy.

On her birthday, which was thankfully on a Saturday this year, she was quite glad that she was not scheduled to patrol. She was planning on spending the day with Ginny, just doing whatever came to mind, and maybe making love at some point which held great appeal to her. Given that the amount of pleasure they both had that night had been so amazing she most certainly wanted another go, or at least a longer one then what then had been able to fit in. She just needed life to comply a little better more with her libido. She had gotten all of her homework done so she really had nothing to do that whole weekend due to her forethought and outside of a Quidditch practice that Ginny had scheduled for Sunday, they had the entire weekend together to do anything that tickled their fancy. And she most certainly intended on tickling Ginny’s fancy. That sounded like a lovely present to her and unwrapping it would be half the fun.

Needing to change her train of thought before it got her into any trouble, Hermione realized that it did make her sad that she was going to spend today without Harry and Ron. This would be the first birthday she would have spent since after her second year at Hogwarts without her two male best friends and that felt amazingly unnatural. While things with Ron were getting tremendously better, as their letters were going nicely and they seemed almost back to the level of friendship they had had before, she was going to especially miss Harry. That messy haired reckless troublemaking fool really was her brother in all the ways that mattered except one and to be apart from him for the first time in years made her very melancholy. There were lots of times when she missed the nights the two of them had spent in the tent alone, providing each other with the comfort they both had needed to survive the loneliness and stress. Harry’s brilliant idea to dance that one time had really helped to save their sanity, starting a practice that they had continued until Ron had returned. The long hours in the cold, dwindling food supplies, being constantly worried about being spotted, all of that had been so much easier to bear with him next to her. She sighed and looked off, trying to let her thoughts move to happier things so she could fend off the incipient tears.

Ginny laid a hand on her leg and asked, “What is it Kitten?”

“I just miss Harry. Well, Ron as well, but I really miss Harry the most. This is my first birthday without them since the three of us became friends. I mean I went from having no real friends to having two of the best anyone could have wanted. Sure I wish it hadn’t taken a troll, but we have been thick as thieves since. I thought I would be okay today, since you know we never really made a big deal about my birthday but just being together was special. I just miss them both so much.” Hermione sighed despondently.

Leaning in, Ginny gave her a warm and comforting hug. “I’m sorry. I wish there was something that I could do to so I could make it all better.”

“You could always give me a kiss?” asked Hermione a bit shyly.

“Is that the prescribed treatment now? Very well, your wish is my command Kitten.” said Ginny, giving her a happy grin before leaning in and capturing her lips and letting Hermione know just how she really felt.

Hermione lost herself to the kiss, moaning into Ginny’s mouth as the girl’s tongue entered. She ran a hand into Ginny’s hair, tightening her grip at the base of her girlfriend’s neck. This elicited a moan from the redhead and her head slowly tilted back, going with the slight tug. Hermione leaned in and started kissing down Ginny’s neck, occasionally sucking on more sensitive spots, nipping others. “Unh… ‘mione… we… things… do…”

“Uhmhum.” muttered Hermione as she continued to lavish attention on her girlfriend, eyes closed happily. This was something she could stand to do all day long if she could.

“Kitten…”

“Busy…”

“Kitten.” said Ginny, trying to be more forceful.

“You’re no fun.” pouted Hermione. She let Ginny go and moved back, her bottom lip quivering slightly as she exaggerated things in an attempt to get her way. It was her birthday after all.

“That’s not what you said last night ‘mione.” A cheeky grin crossed Ginny’s face as she winked at her, getting a blush. “Now come on. I want to run down to Hogsmeade for a little bit. We promised we would get Simon something nice the first chance we could and Luna was kind of thinking about meeting us down there for a little bit.”

Hermione sighed, a little upset that they weren’t going to snog or maybe shag, either of which was honestly her preference if asked. “Well, I guess if we have to. That’ll be okay. Oh, can we go to Scrivenshaft’s? There is some ink that would be nice to get that I forgot to buy back when we were in London. And I also wouldn’t mind getting a new quill or two. Maybe some extra parchment as well.”

“You never mind getting new quills.” Ginny shook her head, amused.

“Well, I wear them out fairly quickly is all.” stated Hermione, somewhat embarrassed.

Ginny snickered slightly as she teased her girlfriend, “Maybe if you didn’t write as much then maybe you wouldn’t need as many.”

“Ha ha. Also I want to pick up some… well… supplies. If we can get some specific items from a few of the shops then we can also get to work on the first prank.”

“Oh? You thought of something? What do you have in mind?” asked Ginny, clearly interested in whatever it was that Hermione was planning for the first prank.

“I’ll tell you on the way in, as I don’t want anyone to overhear. It would be terrible to have made it all the way through the war and everything by keeping secrets only to be caught on our first prank because of such a simple mistake.” said Hermione with only a touch of mock severity.

When they were finally headed into the village and were apart from others on the walk into Hogsmeade who might overhear, Hermione explained the basics of her plan to Ginny, causing the girl to hunch over in laughter, needing to be supported so she wouldn’t fall over. Hermione explained how she had planned to make it happen and what they needed to do purchase in order to make it work. Unlike the Marauders she did draw the line at pilfering supplies. She even explained the other reasons behind why she had planned the prank this way and what she was hoping to accomplish. Ginny just kept snickering as they walked, with Hermione shushing her as they started to near others. The girl kept looking at other students and would start giggling, making Hermione eventually need to smack her on the arm until she quieted down. Ginny responded with mock contriteness, “Sorry.”

“Listen up Firefly…”

“Oi! Don’t call me that!” Ginny glared at her, turning to face Hermione seemingly a bit disturbed.

“What? I didn’t think you would have minded that? Of all the things I have ever heard your brothers and parents call you, I like that one the most. It’s cute and it fits you.” said Hermione, her brows furrowed in confusion. She had to admit, Ginny did look a bit green around the gills.

“Yeah, but that’s my family nickname. You need to come up with something on your own and not get one from somewhere else. Please. Do you know how creepy it is to hear you call me the same thing my Father calls me?” huffed the redhead, who closed her eyes and then shuddered. The greenish tinge to her complexion got a touch worse.

“Fine, fine, I’ll try to come up with my own bloody nickname for you. And it will be one that I haven’t heard your family use. Happy?” Appeasing her girlfriend sounded like a wonderful plan at the moment and might help her look less nauseated. Besides, if she was pleased it invariably led to snogging and Hermione was rather pleased with that idea, supporting its implementation.

“Yes. Besides, is it really that difficult?” challenged Ginny.

“Well, sometimes. I haven’t been able to think of anything cute for you yet. Nothing’s come to mind.” grumped Hermione.

“You’ll think of something Kitten. I’m sure you will. You’re really clever.” Ginny one armed hugged her against her side, pressing a kiss against the side of her head.

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head after she was released. As they neared the village was clear that the streets of Hogsmeade were somewhat crowded on this first Hogsmeade weekend, but the two of them knew where they were going. Looking at the crowds she thought about the available options of where to go for a drink and some snacks, honestly none of the usual places sounded appealing. Madame Puddifoot’s had tea and such which was not all that bad but was so cutsey and over the top that it could easily make you gag. The Three Broomsticks would be crowded at this time and would remain that way most of the day. She was sure that The Hog’s Head would give her flashbacks so there was no way she was going near that place on her birthday. There was that one shop that was a holdover from the Restoration era that she did not go to all that often because Harry and Ron had no interest in it, but she had gone there a few times with Ginny and they had both had enjoyed it.

Thanks to Magical society being very much a collection of holdovers from past eras there was actually a rather modest chocolate house in Hogsmeade that had to have been there since the mid to late 1600’s when they began to become popular in London and spread through other parts of the isle. She remembered that its business began really booming lately with the students in her third year thanks to the presence of the Dementors around the school and the village but in and of itself it was wonderful all on its own. Not only did the chocolate house serve the most amazing hot chocolate she had ever had in her life and that included Hogwarts, but it also served some excellent tea and coffee for those who were far more interested in it rather than its more traditional fare. In fact it seemed to have combined facets of tea houses and coffee houses along with the chocolate house. Hermione completely approved. Beans and Leaves generally did a moderate amount of business, more so with the older students and staff than it did with the younger students, except in the winter months when the demand for their varieties of hot chocolate were at its highest. “Gin, can we get a cup of Chocolate? I would rather go there at the moment, somewhere without too many memories right now. There really are too many conflicting memories with the rest of the village. I honestly only have good ones from there.”

Ginny looked at her critically for a moment, as if trying to decide if she needed a potion or not, and then nodded, giving her a smile. “No problem ‘mione. I just want you to have fun today, so whatever it is that you want to do we will do. Your wish is my command.”

“Do we have anything in particular planned for today?” asked Hermione curiously. She had thought that maybe Ginny might have come up with something special for her birthday besides simply spending the day together. They pretty much always spent the day together now. That was more along the lines of a Ron idea and she had expected more from Ginny.

“Uhm… well, I did sort of arrange a special dinner for us.” replied Ginny a bit embarrassed.

Hermione raised an eyebrow questioningly. This was an interesting development. Ginny set up a special dinner? Really?

“Well, there is that whole big Room of Requirement on the seventh floor just sitting there all by its lonesome, doing nothing and I thought that it might be nice if we were to have an enjoyable dinner there, just the two of us. I mean, I know that fundamentally it’s really just the three of us up here at the school and now we got Simon to add to the mix, but I wasn’t sure if you wanted a party with just the four of us or what. So I figured that a dinner was the best thing I could come up with.” Her smile was kind of apologetic.

Hermione leaned in and kissed Ginny on the cheek, “That’s fine Gin. And you’re right. With so many people not here it would be a bit rough to celebrate without them. I think that all it would do is only make me miss them more. But having a night with you all to myself… I think I can do that. You know, just the thought of unwrapping you… ummmm… that would be a lovely present.”

Hermione was a bit saddened by the fact that she would not see her friends but she had the girl she loved with her and really that was all that mattered now. The rest of the afternoon was spent happily. The chocolate was wonderful, as usual. She had the Mayan blend which was made with a touch of Cayenne and a bit more bitter than the Aztec mix that Ginny was drinking that was similarly spicy. The little bit of shopping was taken care of easily and mostly they just spent the time together. Luna joined them for a short while as they were looking through some of the shops and then left them to continue on their own. After a while the two girls were headed back up to the castle and Gryffindor Tower hand in hand, simply pleased with how the day had progressed.

They were quite out and open about their relationship and it made Hermione so giddy to see that her fears about how people would react to them had been unfounded. While she had gotten a few surprised looks from some people at the beginning there had actually been no derisive comments or anything hurled her way, which was rather surprising. She had been so used to that sort of treatment from Malfoy and his ilk that its absence was glaring. It really seemed to her as if this was just life as normal at Hogwarts. Granted it could have something to do with the fact that she and Ginny were currently two of the scariest witches in the school but she wasn’t really sure. Given the way her life way there really was no telling.

Now all she had to do was just tell Ron about this and all would be well, for the most part. Hopefully it could be done without everything ending in fire and then life would be even better. Maybe she should send another message to Harry to poke him about the issue and see what he had to say. He often had good advice when it came to Ron and she had honestly been putting it off because she was just afraid of this particular confrontation. She was so afraid that this entire mess was going to ruin their friendship and she wasn’t sure she could stand that. That thought unfortunately reminded her of another issue that was hanging over them, refusing to go away. “Gin, when are we going to tell your parent’s about us?”

This question caught the redhead by surprise and she blinked at Hermione a few times before answering, “Uh… well, I kind of wanted to do it in person and the next time we really see them is at the end of term so…”

“Don’t you think that’s a bit like cheating? I mean, don’t you feel that they would want to know? About the two of us? About the fact that we are happy?” asked Hermione, a little unsure now if Ginny was really, truly sure about them. Was it really that difficult to tell her parents? She had told her own parents and they still loved her so what was causing Ginny to balk if not doubts about her?

“Yeah, they would. It’s just that… I hope they are used to the idea that me and Harry and you and Ron are not going to happen, because if they aren’t that could actually cause a problem. You know my Mum, she might try to say we don’t know what we are talking about and that we’re simply confused and need to get back together with the people we are ‘supposed’ to be with. That time will fix things and everything will work out right or some other nonsense. Ugh… she makes me crazy sometimes. And Dad… honestly, sometimes Dad is not much better. Sure he is nice and wonderful and accepting on the whole but occasionally he gives you these looks and you feel like you are disappointing him. It makes you feel like you are so tiny and pathetic and that you have failed him and the family. Makes you feel worse than any lecture Mum can come up with.” explained Ginny, clearly fretting over this issue.

Hermione nodded and absently gave the Fat Lady the password as they stepped into the common room that was only partially filled before heading up the stairs towards her room. Ginny just kept going, not really paying attention to those few people around them, “I mean, I know they love you. I kind of think they adopted you the way they adopted Harry, though I honestly have no idea why you haven’t gotten a stupid jumper yet. I think Mum’s just barmy because of reading one too many of those bloody stories she’s seen about you in the ruddy papers. I don’t know how many times we’ve told her… seriously, she’s daft. If she forgets to make you one this year I swear that I will hex her.”

Hermione hugged her, trying to calm her down if only just a little. It was clear that this topic had her girlfriend a bit worked up. “Gin, it’s okay. If you’re not ready to tell them, you’re not ready. You take care of me and I am just looking out for you as well. Honestly, you don’t have to rush off and fight all the time to protect me. It’s sweet but not necessary. I can take care of myself you know.”

Ginny said the password and they entered into the bedroom, “I know it’s not really necessary, but I… I just like to take care of you. It’s not that you’re weak or helpless or anything like that, it’s just that I feel… it makes me feel good doing that. Holding you safe and being helpful and protective of you is just another way I can show you just how much I love you.”

“You love me?” asked Hermione, a bit surprised, as she had never heard Ginny utter those words before. She had to blink a few times as her mind tried to process this. Had she really heard that correctly?

Ginny turned bright red and looked down at the floor, embarrassed. Hermione would have none of that and stepped forward, lifting Ginny’s face to look her in the eyes, searching the brown depths for the truth. She asked the girl calmly, “You love me?”

Ginny nodded shyly. “I… I had planned on telling you in a bit more romantic setting but I guess it sort of slipped out. Heh… but yes, yes I do. Hermione Jean Granger I love you. You are absolutely amazing. You are a beautiful woman with an incredible mind who is so giving and caring that it is humbling. You kept my idiot brother and Harry alive for so many years that it’s just sad how much they depend on you. Everything you do is just too amazing for words and I don’t know a more remarkable witch anywhere. I seriously don’t know how I ever got so lucky to become the one you chose and I thank the stars every day that I am here with you but yes, I love you, with all my heart.”

Hermione began to cry happy tears as Ginny spoke, her heart feeling like it was going to burst from joy at what her girlfriend was telling her. She threw her arms around Ginny and pulled the girl into a deep passionate kiss, not even caring if she could breathe or not. There were far more important things than air at this moment. When they parted, Ginny looked at her with a dazed but happy expression, a smile growing on her face. Hermione grinned broadly and said, “Gin, thank you. That means so much to me and warms me so much. I love you too Ginevra Molly Weasley, with all of my heart and I have for a while now. You are the love of my dreams that saved me from my nightmares and I truly think that you are perfect.”

Ginny blushed, her face turning almost the color of her hair. This response got Hermione to laugh lightly and hug Ginny tight, moving backwards, pulling the girl along with her until they fell against the bed. They leaned against the mattress, chuckling and then looked at each other with eyes bright and happy. Ginny grinned at her and she grinned back. Hermione leaned in and kissed her lips briefly, saying, “I love you.”

Ginny repeated the action. “I love you.”

“Oh… it feels so good to finally say that.” sighed Hermione, relief flowing through her since she could now fully express how she had felt for so long.

“What do you mean?” asked Ginny, sounding somewhat confused.

“Well, even though I have loved you for a good while now, I didn’t say anything at first because I hadn’t told you I fancied you. That would be a bit problematic. Then I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to rush our relationship and leading us into too much too soon. If I had said I love you too soon it might have freaked you out and I was afraid of that so I didn’t want to risk it. I didn’t want to drive you away because I said too much too fast.” Hermione bit her bottom lip after she admitted that, unsure of what the reactions would be to that revelation. She was afraid that Ginny might actually be angry at her over this and that did scare her a little.

Ginny looked thoughtful, clearly working her way through what Hermione had said and then finally she nodded. “That makes sense, so I forgive you for holding out on me. But we can say it now, right?”

“Right. If you feel like you want to say it, just say it. No problem at all with doing that. Like right now, I just wanted to tell you that I love you.” She grinned at Ginny.

“Wow… who knew that Hermione Granger, the smartest witch of her age is a total romantic sap?” teased Ginny playfully.

Hermione good-naturedly scowled at her, “Watch it there missy or else no more kisses for you.”

Ginny quickly raised her arms in surrender, looking somewhat worried. “I yield. I yield. No need to play rough now. So, did you want to get some studying done before we need to get ready for dinner?”

“Sure. Oh, did you need to leave yet to get the room ready for us?” Hermione had to admit she was a bit curious about their dinner. Given what the Room of Requirement could do she was wondering what exactly it was going to look like and what Ginny had in mind for their evening both for supper and afterwards. There were all sorts of possibilities and it really made her wonder.

“No, Luna is going to take care of that for me since she and I had already talked about what I wanted for tonight. Besides the House Elves love her and she is the one who set up everything with them for me. So from what she told me the meal will be a bit different from what everyone else is eating tonight.” Ginny grinned excitedly.

“I can’t wait. Today has already been absolutely perfect. I can’t imagine anything more wonderful than spending a fun day with you and then having you say that you loved me. Best day ever.” Hermione smiled at her, a bit of a dopey love filled smile that Ginny returned.

“Yeah.”

Homework passed quickly as they were both making sure to stay ahead of the curve in all of their classes. They even had time to work through some of the journals, as Ginny was working hard to catch up with Hermione, and they even made a few more plans for their first prank. When it was getting close to the time for them to head to dinner, Ginny excused herself and headed downstairs to her actual room so she could get ready.

Hermione decided that before she was going to get dressed up for this she needed a shower and stripped off her clothes, dropping them into the hamper she had set aside for them. While she was well aware that Topsy would have picked them up from wherever she dropped them, Hermione did not want to make more work for the house elf. Once she had the water set to the correct temperature she stepped under the stream and began to get clean. Due to her bit of snogging and how excited she had been thanks to hearing ‘I love you’ for the first time, soaping herself felt a good bit more sensual than it usually did and washing her breasts was far more distracting than it really needed to be. Part of her wanted to give herself a little bit of relief, as the shower could be angled and adjusted until it was just right and have just the right amount of pressure with very little effort so that it would have a more than pleasurable effect. However another part of her wanted to be already aroused when she was around Ginny, wanted this dinner to lead them back into bed where she could celebrate her birthday by unwrapping the most incredible gift she had ever gotten and lavishing all of her attention on it until they both eventually fell over exhausted.

Once done and dressed in the short and flirty pink dress she had not chosen for the date, she made her way downstairs, where Ginny was already waiting for her wearing a dark blue dress the clung to her quite nicely until it flared out at around her mid-thigh. Hermione had to admit that Ginny looked stunning. “Ready ‘mione?”

“Certainly.”

The walk to the Room of Requirement was easy as it was also on the seventh floor, same as the entrance to their common room. They walked for a ways holding hands in silence of the corridors until they came to the door that was waiting for them across from the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy. Ginny opened the door and gestured her through. Once Hermione walked into the well lit room and gasped at what she saw, lots of voices then began yelling out, “Surprise!”

Hermione stood there gaping, as if unable to process exactly what she was seeing. The room was expanded and decorated for a party and there standing in front of her were all her friends, the entire Weasley clan including Ron, who was supposed to be in Auror training, Neville, Harry and most miraculous of all there were her parents. They were actually here, standing in her school. She started crying, overwhelmed by the sudden rush of her emotions and her mother quickly came up and pulled her into her arms, saying quietly, “I’ve got you baby.”

Ginny walked up to stand next to the two of them as did Mr. Granger, Harry and Ron. It took her a little bit but Hermione calmed down and wiped her eyes, chuckling a little and the sight she had to have been because of losing it like that. “How?”

“Ginny here put this all together, saying that she knew that you really needed this. She had this whole thing in the works even before you two left for school, mostly to make sure that your mom and I had permission to come up here.” said her dad, clearly proud of Ginny.

Hermione turned and looked at Ginny who blushed and smiled a bit uncertainly at her. She appraised the girl she loved again and asked, “You did all that for me?”

“Well yeah, of course I did. I thought we covered that.” replied Ginny a bit incredulously.

“She even made sure I asked to get out of training.” commented Ron a bit amused. “This is one of those times where being a bloody hero comes in handy.”

Hermione laughed, she really had missed Ron. Once she was free of her mother’s arms she hugged Ron tightly, whispering to him, “You really are one of my best friends. I am so glad you’re here.”

“Me too ‘mione, me too. Happy birthday Hermione. I’m so glad I didn’t miss it.”

Harry hugged her next, also passing on birthday wishes before saying, “Now I want to get this over with early so I need you to promise not to hex me or punch me before I tell you anything.”

Hermione narrowed her eyes and squared off against Harry, her fists on her hips, already knowing that she was not going to like this, “Harry James Potter, what did you do now?”

“Now wait just a moment, it’s not that bad.” protested Harry, seemingly offended by her charge, stepping backwards and raising his hands.

Hermione tapped her foot impatiently, giving him the look that Ron had earned far more often than he had. He swallowed heavily before he slumped his shoulders in defeat. There really was no fighting her and he really knew better than to try. “Look, okay before you get on my case about this just to let you know I have thought about this and thought about this and I don’t need you mad at me. I am not just jumping into this blind like I usually do most everything else. I actually have a plan this time and I happen to think it’s a good one. You know, unlike our usual ones.”

“Harry…” she said warningly, wanting him to get to the point.

With a sigh he relented and was unable to meet her eyes as he said, “I took Kingsley up on his offer.”

It took some effort but she swallowed her near instinctive scream of indignation. How could he be so stupid? “Okay. You said you had a plan?”

“Yes. I really do. I figured that if I work for a few years, absolutely no more than three and then get out I can then turn around and easily get my mastery in DADA with a lot less fuss than I would get now. I know I could probably get it now but I would rather do it right. If I did it now, how would I know that they didn’t just give it to me because I killed Voldemort and not because I earned it? This way I will have some additional field work as an Auror to supplement what I have already done, which will probably be a lot less stressful, and then I get out of that completely and I teach.” He explained in a rush.

“Teach?” she goggled at him, as if having trouble following what he was saying. It seemed to be so logical and sensible that surely it couldn’t be Harry that she was listening to.

“Well yeah, you always did say that I was rather good at it when I was working with the DA so why not listen to the advice of my best friend and get away from the fighting forever before it really hurts me more than it already has. A few years ‘mione, that’s it, that’s all I ask, I swear. Please I need you to hold me to that. I don’t want to end up like Moody.” His eyes told her how serious he was.

She hugged him tight, one of her stronger Hermione Hugs and Harry groaned a little under it. She let him go, saying, “Absolutely. I can’t say I’m not worried about this particular plan, but the end result is brilliant. You will be a wonderful teacher and you teaching Defense is simply a natural fit. I always told you so. What does Luna think about all of this?”

“Well… she may not be a fan of the couple of years part of the whole thing but she likes it as well. She especially likes the part where I am away from danger by the end of it. There have been a lot of letters going back and forth because of this. Thanks for being so understanding Hermione.” Harry replied, smiling at her happily, feeling much better now that she was behind him.

“No problem. Oh, that reminds me… can I get some help?” she asked quietly.

“Ron?” Harry cut his eyes over to his friend, clearly still reading her like he always had.

She just nodded.

“I’ll see what I can do. You still happy.”

She smiled and hugged him again as the only answer necessary. That taken care of she went off and mingled with the other guests, as there were many. There were so many people she had not seen in so long that it was amazing, certainly most of them since Harry’s party a month and a half ago. Despite the urge she had to simply hang out with her friends, she made sure to take the time to introduce Simon to her parents and most of the others and he was a big hit with everyone, especially charming her mother.

Harry and Simon both seemed to hit it off as well, which made her feel better about her meddling into things. She liked Simon and didn’t want him to feel ostracized by her friends so their actually liking him was a bonus. It was also nice to see Luna and Harry cuddling together, a bit more out about their burgeoning relationship. While it was adorable and made her excited for her best friend, she did wish that she and Ginny could have been as open. She wanted to tell everybody about how much she loved Ginny and Ginny loved her, but with Ron there and the Weasleys it simply wasn’t practical.

She just enjoyed being around friends and family, chatting with everyone, not even caring about the presents, which were wonderful. When she got a coupon for a new broom at Broomstix from Harry and a broom repair kit from Ron she had glared at the two of them and then at Ginny who pretended to be completely innocent which failed when she started grinning and chuckling. Ginny had gotten her a small wall relief of the Rosetta Stone which made both of them grin at each other like idiots.

Simon’s gift was rather a surprise. Inside a small box was a paper rose that looked fairly accurate despite being clearly made of paper. Hermione smiled as she saw it. “Did you make this?”

Simon nodded. “The Headmistress helped me with the transfiguration. Since it was paper to paper, with just the shape being different it wasn’t really all that hard. The most difficult part of the whole process was picturing the flower. It took me a while but I finally got it yesterday.”

Hermione hugged him. “This is wonderful work Simon. It really is impressive for someone of your year, especially this early on. Thank you so much.”

He blushed and looked down, “Your welcome Hermione.”

As he took off to go and talk to Ginny, her mother came up to her and said, “He seems like a nice boy.”

“He is mum, he really is. He has some issues in his life that Ginny and I are helping him with but he is very sweet and quite smart. I know you would like him.” said Hermione, grinning at her.

“Well, I guess I’ll go over and talk to him some more. If you like him he can’t be all bad.” teased her mother, hugging her briefly before she walked away.

Fleur sidled up to Hermione a little while after her mother left, as things were going well with the rest of the party and there was a quiet moment, saying, “So I see all is well in your life.”

She just answered the blond quarter Veela with a smile filled with all of her joy.

“I am very ‘appy for you ‘ermione. You deserve all this ‘appiness you ‘ave found. And I can tell by the way you two interact and look at each other that it ‘as gone beyond simply words and kisses, oh la la.” Fleur teased lightly.

“Fleur!” Hermione blurted out, shocked. She looked around to see if anyone was listening, and did not see anyone, nor even an extendable ear.

Fleur laughed lightly, a very friendly sound that warmed the heart. “Seeing you ‘appy after ‘ow troubled you were this spring and summer gives me great joy. And to see you so obviously in love, this is what we veelas cherish, love and ‘appiness. I am so glad you ‘ave found that.”

Hermione looked across the room to where Ginny was standing, busy talking quite animatedly with Luna and a few other girls about who knew what. Her heart swelled at the sight of her girlfriend and her smile grew larger. “I certainly have that Fleur. I certainly do.”


	26. Chapter 26

Twenty-six

The mail owl flew into the Great Hall during lunch, which was unusual in and of itself, and with no other birds getting in its way it flew straight towards the head table. The bird, a tawny owl, landed in front of the Headmistress rather delicately and stuck out its leg, letting the woman untie the raggedy looking note that was on there. Once the Headmistress had the note in hand the bird took off, winging its way out of the room with all eyes split between watching the bird or the Headmistress. The strangeness of the owl’s entrance had everybody in the room watching, trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

Headmistress McGonnagall unrolled the note and looked at it for a moment then furrowed her brows somewhat confused as she appeared to be reading it a second time. She turned it over a few times and nothing became clearer as from what anyone could tell there was no writing on either side of the old looking parchment. She turned to Professor Flitwick and as she spoke the room exploded with several huge bursts of multicolored powder that filled the whole room in a vast cloud of colorful smoke. Lots of coughing was quickly heard from all about the Great Hall as was the sound of a number of air purifying spells being cast. Soon the varihued haze was gone from over the tables but what remained had some people screaming and some laughing.

The fading wisps of color began to dance about towards the ceiling on the air currents, beginning to look more and more like the ghostly forms of a large dog, a werewolf and a stag. That had many members of the Head Table gawking as opposed to the majority of the students who were primarily staring at the fact that their hair and skin were all colored a different house color from their own. And the even more troubling things was that it wasn’t consistent. Each table had a mixture of the other three Houses represented in the color of the people seated there. Even the House banners had been hit, sporting rainbow hues. When finally the rest of the color cloud had faded, the moving images remained for another few moments before they all turned, bowing towards the Head Table and vanishing completely, whisked away by the air currents. Pandemonium erupted in the Great Hall.

The Headmistress stood and, after apparently casting Sonorus on herself, boomed out with a bit more brogue than was usual, “Quiet!”

Everyone slowly settled down and regained their seats, a bit too afraid to cross Headmistress McGonnagall. She applied the counter charm to the sonorus and asked in a more normal tone of voice, pitching her voice loud enough to be heard through the hall, “Now is anyone hurt?”

When no one raised their hand or indicated that they were injured in some way, she nodded. There was no indication on her face if she were pleased or not with the fact that there were no injuries. “Now then, Professor Flitwick will be coming around to your tables in order to remove this so don’t worry. We will get to the bottom of this and punish those responsible. Resume eating your meals and remain calm. Miss Granger, Mister Boyle, a word please.”

Hermione had already schooled her face to where it needed to be, quite prepared for going up and talking with the Headmistress. Knowing that this was going to happen had allowed her to settle her thoughts in regards to this event against Legilimency. While she did love and respect Headmistress McGonnagall more than any other instructor at Hogwarts, this whole thing with the pranking was pretty fun so far and she had to admit that she was enjoying herself immensely. Thinking through all the possible ways in which they could get caught, setting up the delivery system, ensuring that the trigger would work, the various charms they had to use, and the everything else had been some degree of fun and definitely challenging work. The Marauders notes had been an absolutely invaluable tool in that endeavor. This wasn’t a repeat of any prank they had pulled back in their time but it was an extrapolation off something that Remus had mentioned as a potential prank against the Slytherins, making their hair all turn Gryffindor colors after such a colorful display. All she had done was to simply take that core idea and run with it to its logical extreme.

Once the Head Boy and Girl were both at the Head Table the Headmistress looked at them, each colored in the House colors of the other, and said, “I need you to get the Prefects together so you can try and find who might have done this. I would suggest at the very minimum that it would be someone fifth year and up by the complexity of the work needed in order to make that happen. I want them found and brought to my office as soon as you can manage it.”

“What was on the note Headmistress?” asked Cameron.

“Nothing. That’s what’s so strange. The owl delivered a blank note.” Headmistress McGonnagall sounded rather frustrated and put out.

Hermione looked up at the ceiling where the figures had been and then back towards the note speculatively. She had to play this correctly if she was going to plant the seed but not shift focus too much onto her, “Headmistress, you don’t think…”

“What Miss Granger?” The piercing green eyes bored into her, as if trying to interpret her intention by sight alone.

“Well, those three shapes. I know you know that they were familiar. Could they possibly be…?” Hermione was not overly proud of the fact that she had become a better liar since having met the boys but even she had to admit that there were times when the skill was useful. After all, the ability to lie convincingly had saved her life when she was lying there on the cold marble floor of Malfoy Manor.

The Headmistress nodded, following along the train of thought that Hermione had laid out. She had tried to make it subtle and not overly obvious and she hoped that she had succeeded. “I am not sure what to think Miss Granger, but what do _you_ think that means for the note.”

“Well, from what Harry has said, uhm… the three of them could spell paper to look completely normal and plain but it could actually carry hidden messages that would not be revealed unless you knew the code word or phrase. Apparently that was how they hid a number of things from teachers and Prefects.” explained Hermione.

“They? They who?” asked Cameron, clearly confused. There were parts of this conversation that he knew he did not even remotely understand and it seemed that Hermione and the Headmistress had no intention of filling him in.

The Headmistress quirked an eyebrow at this statement, obviously following the implication that Hermione was making. “Could they now? That would explain a lot actually.”

“Anyway, that’s what Harry said.” Hermione replied with a shrug. “I don’t know much more than that.”

The Headmistress tapped the blank page in order to get it to reveal the words and sure enough words appeared. The three of them looked at the note to see what would appear. The ink resolved itself into reading, _Mssrs. Padfoot, Moony, and Prongs bid Minnie a good day and do hope that she enjoyed the show._

McGonnagall frowned and tapped the page again, her eyes narrowing in consternation. It was clear that she was trying to get through whatever this was to discover the real message hidden below. The writing changed again, the letters shifting into, _Mssr. Moony is wondering if perhaps your bun is wound a bit too tight since you keep bothering us._

With a very feline hiss at that, she cast a few more spells onto the page before it read. _Mssr. Padfoot regrets not being there to give the honorable Headmistress a big wet kiss in front of everyone but must decline since he has been otherwise detained._

“Sirius…” she growled growing annoyed with this whole process. The Headmistress closed her eyes, took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, clearly focusing herself. She then tapped the page again and Hermione could actually feel the rush of magic this time.

The words changed again. _Mssr. Prongs wonders how exactly Minnie is going to deal with all of this if she blows her top with just this first one. Perhaps a vacation will help?_

“First one?” After she said those words, the note burst into flames, making the Headmistress drop the sheet in surprise. The parchment was enveloped by the fire which burned out before it hit the floor, leaving only a black spot of ash on the floor of the Great Hall. The three of them stared at the remains of the message in astonishment.

“Headmistress, uh… what do you want us to do? Should we still check to see if we can find someone who did this?” asked Hermione, trying to sound a bit worried and stunned at the same time.

“This is obviously the work of some prankster with a sick sense of humor and we will find them. You and Boyle will need to ferret them out no matter who they are. And for them to use the images of those three…” McGonnagall just shook her head as her voice trailed off. She gave Hermione a speculative look before scoffing and shaking her head, as if she could not believe that she had even entertained that particular notion.

“Headmistress, what three? Who are you two talking about?” Cameron was clearly not following much of what was going on in the conversation and that was making him sound just a bit testy.

“Those three figures and the three mentioned on the note used to be students here at Hogwarts, many years ago. I want you to imagine the Weasley twins only worse and three of them, and that was them. They called themselves the Marauders and they were pranksters and troublemakers. All of them died at some point in the fight against Voldemort, the last of them this spring.” That was about all that was important at this point. Hermione was glad that McGonnagall stopped there. Letting Cameron know much more about Remus, Sirius and James at this point might be a bit too much. Information control would be important if she wanted to manage this correctly and keep she and Ginny from being too obviously suspects.

“Well, do you think that it could be their ghosts doing this?” he asked, trying to work this out logically. From a certain point of view, having ghosts pulling a prank like this made a certain sort of sense. “I mean, there are stories of some ghosts having the power to effect things, besides poltergeists. If they had some sort of connection to the school wouldn’t it be a possibility?”

McGonnagall nodded slowly, clearly finding that train of thought appealing to a degree. “I could see at least two of them doing this or at least get caught attempting it. And one of them did die here in May so it just might be possible for that to be the case, though it would be rare. It is a scenario worth considering but until we have proof that your guess is correct, you both will work on trying to figure out someone more tangible who this could be.”

“Yes ma’am.” After a quick word with each other to arrange a meeting time, the two of them headed back towards their respective tables and sat back down to finish what was left of their lunch despite the hubbub.

Hermione was instantly bombarded by questions as she took her seat. She held up her hands to forestall any more attempts to pry answers from her and said calmly, “Hold on everybody. Cameron and I are going to be looking into this. The Prefects will also be called in to help with this search for the culprits as well. The teachers are on top of this. Hopefully they can get this color mess sorted soon and we won’t all look so….”

But the teachers couldn’t eliminate the colors off anyone or even from the House banners. Thanks to Lupin’s notes, Flitwick’s teaching and her own studies backed by Ginny’s knowledge of the Twin’s own pranking techniques they had been able to come up with a way to link the all of the individual color patterns together into one larger matrix with a Protean Charm, meaning that they all had to come down at once, which took a great deal of power, or the teachers would have to allow the effect to fade over time, which was already preset. The only thing that made Hermione happy about her research was that this combination was too tricky to be used with any spell that was much more complex than the one they used as the whole thing would come apart under the stress of the differing spell energies. Thankfully that meant she had not weaponized a spell matrix for use on a large group, but after some more thought she figured that if she really wanted to she could find a way to make it work with a number of more deadly spells. So that guaranteed that those notes got burned, something that Ginny agreed with after some discussion. While that technique would be great for their particular pranking purposes other people might not be as nice and put that knowledge to far more nefarious aims. It was safer locked in their heads than on paper.

The fact that the students were colored with different house colors seemed to have some fun effects, as over the following two days as the spell lingered there was a bit more intermingling between the Houses, as if this had somehow let down a barrier between them. It seemed that everyone was in the same boat, all differently colored so they had that clearly in common so why not? When they had been planning things, Ginny had chosen to be Ravenclaw colored supposedly to better reflect her girlfriend while she had gone with Slytherin to show how sneaky she was. And naturally there was no progress in the investigation as to who had pulled this prank, as Hermione was not likely to find any information indicating that she was a likely suspect in her own prank and the other Prefects or Cameron had no clue what they were actually looking for. Even the owl that had delivered the note had vanished without a trace.

But now Hermione was simply focusing on the more important things, her schoolwork, Ginny, and trying to learn everything she could get her hands on that wasn’t nailed down. Having a permanent pass into the Restricted Section of the Library was a lovely thing to have as she could get any of the books she needed to supplement her own resources when she looked into anything, even pranks. It had already proven its usefulness to her. Thanks to a book she found there, Lupin’s notes, and her own theories she had been able to finally follow through on her desire to make her patrolling infinitely easier by making something that she could attach to the Marauder’s Map in order to help her with that particular task. Now, thanks to what she had cobbled together, she could just sit back and study in peace unless the map gave her a warning tone that someone who was not on the approved list was out and about wandering the halls. During the initial test it had already shown how helpful it was by helping her catch a pair of Slytherin six years, who had been looking for somewhere private for an intimate rendezvous and a Ravenclaw third year who had been sneaking down to the Kitchen’s for a late night snack. Each time she had gone straight to them and each time she had been able to get back to her studying quite quickly, with very little fuss, much to the confusion of the Head Boy.

It was certainly making this onerous portion of her work as Head Girl far easier than it could have been. While Cameron was patrolling around like usual, she was nice and comfortable, reading and then rushing directly to a trouble spot to handle to out of bounds individual before they could really get anywhere. He couldn’t seem to understand how she was able to do that and be so amazingly accurate. Naturally Hermione decided not to share with him the secret to her success as it would have taken far too long to explain the whole thing and might have directed unwanted attention her way about her pranking. And then there was the whole issue of the Marauders Map in the first place and how it could be considered a violation of privacy.

However, the map wasn’t helping her with the big hunt that she really cared about, catching those older Slytherins who were picking on the younger members of the different houses. Despite having an overwhelming urge to strangle them, she had to give them points for being both smart and cunning, ensuring that the students they jumped could not identify them through one means or another and their use of the Confundus Charm to make things even more confused showed that they were rather clever. What was worrying Hermione was that it seemed that they were moving up in terms of bad things done to people, moving to harsher hexes, and meaner pranks as they gained more and more of a taste for it. It concerned her and made her wish she could catch them faster, before someone got seriously hurt due to this nonsense. All it would take was her being in the right place in the right time and it would be all over for those idiots. She was certain that she could take out five or six lower years without breathing hard, unless one of them ogt in a lucky shot.

However she had more important things to worry about at the moment rather than pranks or thugs, as she and Madam Pomfrey were currently on their way up to speak with Headmistress McGonagall. They had talked about Simon a couple more times and realized that they absolutely needed to take it to the next level, because the Nurse had come to the unfortunate conclusion that what Simon had gone through had to have been systematic abuse rather than being a one-time thing. Neither woman was pleased with the situation as they rode up the spiral staircase lost to their own thoughts.

“Come in.”

The Headmistress looked up from her work and seemed a bit surprised to see the two of them, raising an eyebrow in question at their appearance. Poppy took the lead as they came over and took seats, “Minerva, we have a bit of a problem that is beyond our ability to deal with and we need your assistance.”

Minerva’s eyes cut over to Hermione worriedly. The girl shook her head and tried to be a touch reassuring as she said, “No, the problem is not with me oddly enough but rather it’s with a first year Gryffindor I have taken a liking to, Simon Cresswell. I think that you may have met him at my birthday party. He is a really sweet kid and is doing well in his classes but well… it seems that he has been physically abused, possibly from his family.”

The Headmistress looked quite surprised and a bit shocked at this, eyes wide. “Good lord, Poppy is this true?”

The nurse nodded her head sadly as she replied, “Yes, I’m afraid so. Based on a hunch of Miss Granger, I checked the boy the day after the welcome feast and he had a number of bruises and contusions in places that would be easy to hide with clothing. He does have a number of indicators for abuse, specifically in the way he interacts with people, is often withdrawn, apparently trouble with making friends, is quite compliant with whatever Miss Granger and her friends ask, soaks up affection as if it is a rare thing, and that is including several rather severe injuries that have healed. There are also a few signs that he might have a bit of malnourishment, but he should be over that in a short while with all the food here. Miss Granger here said that when she met him he was acting a lot like Mr. Potter did when he first arrived and we all remember what my opinion was then.”

The painting of Dumbledore took the rather pointed glare from the Healer in stride and simply smiled serenely at the three of them.

“Yes, well, have you questioned the boy about any of this?” asked McGonnagall, her brows furrowed in concentration.

“Not yet.” said Hermione apologetically. “See, that’s part of the problem. He has been busy acclimating himself to the school, magic, and the difficulty of making friends. He is muggleborn, like me and so a lot of this is new to him and it is throwing him for a loop. There are so many things that he does not know how to deal with. Ginny, Luna, and I have been helping him as best we can and he is starting to make a few friends among his year mates however we did not want to push it, alienating him, but we did know that we just couldn’t sit on this problem forever as it would only get worse. This is an issue that needs some resolution for several reasons.”

“I see. And so the both of you thought to come here and dump this whole mess on me?” Headmistress McGonnagall said with a bit of a grin, taking the bite out of the comment.

“Exactly. You are the Headmistress of the school after all.” said Poppy. “Besides the boy has a couple of younger siblings and after further reflection since we are not sure if the abuse is because of his magic or what not, his family should be formally investigated. I have a friend of mine who works at St. Mungo’s sort of watching the family now informally to see if we can get any visual evidence of abuse. However, the only one who we can really ask for such a thing is you and we know that you can only do that if you have questioned Simon. We are only trying to cut out the middle portion of this whole thing.” The Nurse summed up their agreed upon points rather succinctly. This was the crux of their concerns after all.

The Headmistress nodded as she followed along with Poppy’s explanation, obviously tracking the argument they were making. “Fair enough. And what exactly should I tell Mr. Cresswell about how I know about these things? These are things that I should not know without having some sort of reason. You are aware that he is going to ask.”

Hermione grinned at McGonnagall as something occurred to her. It was a little rude, but the person to whom it was rude really did not have a stake in this argument. Besides, if this was able to help Simon she would be okay with most anything. “Well, speaking from my own experience, with him being a Muggleborn, Simon doesn’t really know the limitations of what magic can and cannot do at this point. There is no reason for him not to believe that finding this out by magic is just something that the Headmistress can do. So I think all you will have to do at this point is pull a Dumbledore on him.”

The painting of Snape started snickering at this point, which startled Hermione but earned the painting of the former Potions Master and brief Headmaster of Hogwarts glares from both the painting of Dumbledore and Headmistress McGonnagall. When he looked up he looked at both of them and gave a snort of disbelief, “Oh please, you can’t even remotely deny the fact that you always acted like you knew everything. You cannot argue with that Albus.”

The painting of Dumbledore sighed, having to yield to that particular point, “No, you know that I cannot Severus. Despite all that, perhaps Miss Granger’s plan might actually work Minerva.”

“You know I do not appreciate lying Albus and do not even begin to spout off any of your Greater Good nonsense at me over this. I am trying to find a way to help a young boy who is possibly in the same sort of trouble that Harry was in while he was living with the Dursley’s not prevent a magical war. You wouldn’t let me do anything to help fix the situation with Harry but by Merlin I will fix this one if I can!” Minerva glowered at the painting, who had did look a bit abashed by this dressing down.

Severus snickered again, obviously amused by the dressing down Dumbledore was getting. He seemed inordinately pleased with himself.

Hermione was feeling a bit uncomfortable, shifting in her seat, as the sight of McGonnagall bickering with Dumbledore made her feel awkward, like watching her grandparents argue, and it was disturbing. However there was no question in her mind that the image of Snape smiling and snickering with very human emotions was simply downright creepy. McGonnagall turned from the paintings and back to her visitors. “Sorry for that. I will talk to him and then look into the matter myself. I would hate for one of our students to have to endure such treatment if there is something that we are able to do something about it. Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. I would hate to have to fail another boy the way we failed Harry.”

“Excellent. Well, I can already tell you that the food and the reduction in stress is helping the boy feel less timid and put upon than when he had first arrived, which leads me to believe that it is an issue with his home life. If we can solve this other issue than maybe we can figure out how best we can take care of him.” stated Madam Pomfrey with a slight smile.

“If these allegations are true, it will have to be dealt with and we will have to get him out of that house. There is no other recourse. Since he is not bound by any sort of prophecy nor is he being chased by a dark lord nor does he need blood wards to stay there I have absolutely no compunctions with getting him out of a harmful environment in order to get him to safety. The question then becomes a matter of what we can do with him? I suppose it’s obvious that he can stay here during the school year but what are the options over the summer?”

Hermione blushed a little, barely believing that she was thinking about doing this. It was a crazy idea but she knew that if she did it she would be able to keep Simon safe, and so because of that she would totally do it. But it was such a radically different idea from what she usually would think of that it was difficult to see it as her own thought but she knew no one had been meddling. “You know… I could take him over the summers.”

“You Hermione?” Headmistress McGonnagall seemed surprised at what Hermione was saying.

“Well, uhm… yes. I am currently of age and have been for several years. I will be getting some sort of employment when I graduate from here, I am absolutely positive of that. I can find a flat and take care of the both of us after that. It would surely be a far more preferable situation to him staying in an abusive home.” offered Hermione, trying to clarify her point of view on the matter. While part of her could not believe that she was saying this, another part of her was sure that this was the right choice to be making. Hopefully Ginny wouldn’t kill her over this whole idea however. “He is a very nice boy and it is such a shame for him to be in such a state.”

“Hermione, you will just be starting out your adult life, are you really going to be ready to take up the responsibility of being the parent of a teenager even if it is only an occasional thing?” asked Headmistress McGonnagall gently.

Hermione bit her bottom lip. She was aware that this idea was pretty insane and that she was only eight years older than Simon. They were very hefty years thanks to the war and everything. Granted, at his age that gap was pretty huge in terms of perception but it really wasn’t all that large. And she knew the Headmistress was right, in so many ways but what choice did she really have? “I honestly don’t know. All I know is that if I can take care of him I will. It’s just not fair that he might be in the same situation that Harry was in and no one will be there to take care of him. He doesn’t have the Weasley’s to run to half way through the summer or Grimmauld place. He would be stuck there. It’s not right. Sure I might not be the best option but I am here and I am willing to do this.”

Madam Pomfey and the Headmistress both looked rather proud of her at that moment, even though she did feel like a bit of a lunatic for even suggesting this. Minerva spoke, “Well, let’s not put the cart before the Thestral, shall we? There are other things that need to be worked out before who watches him is even discussed. First things first if this actually does becomes a need then we will return to this topic of discussion but until then we should focus on taking care of Simon. We should not act as if our worst fear is what is true until it has been confirmed.”

Hermione smiled and nodded, a bit relieved.

“Good. I shall set up an appointment to talk to Mr. Cresswell later. Once I have gotten the information from him I will check out his family, to see if there is any reason to worry. So long as Simon is here that is all we can do. Well, I shall talk to you both later. And Hermione?” The Headmistress turned her green eyes on her and they were rather friendly at the moment.

“Yes?”

“We still need to have that discussion you wanted about your potential career options.” said McGonnagall with a smile.

“Thank you for reminding me Headmistress. Things have been pretty crazy since we have gotten back. I’ll get it set up soon. I promise.” She smiled at her and left her office, thinking about everything that had just happened.

As she walked through the halls she thought about Simon and what she had suggested. Watching out for an eleven year old boy was a pretty serious bit of work and a tremendous commitment. She was fairly certain of that, and by the time she would have to watch him he would be twelve. She was nineteen years old, a good eight years older than him and despite that she had to admit he really brought out the maternal instincts in her to the forefront. He was a good kid and the fact that someone had hurt him badly was despicable. Life really was unfair when she thought about it, not always but often enough. But was she ready to take care of Simon? Was she even capable of it?

She supposed that she could do it if she had to. She was very responsible and she did know what she would need to do in order to make sure that Simon had a nice place to stay, good food to eat, clothes to wear, school supplies, and the like. And if she got into any problems that she was not able to deal with she was sure either her parents or Mrs. Weasley would be more than happy to jump in and help her out of any potential jam she might find herself in. But to effectively become a parent to an eleven year old boy… could she really do that? That would be a very serious step. And what would that mean for her and Ginny? Would Ginny object to raising him? Would she even want to become a mother so early in their relationship? Would they even be mothering him so much as watching him? She had so many questions running through her head.

And Ginny was only six years older than Simon, not nearly as big a gap in age, which made this whole thing seem a bit crazy the more she thought about it. Shaking her head in worry, as her thoughts continued to whirl about, Hermione headed back towards the common room, trying to make some sort of sense of things. Part of her was well aware that this was the right thing to do but another part of her also knew that this was a bit insane, like clearly a Harry level of insane. She hadn’t even dealt with the issue of telling Ron about her and Ginny or even coming out to the Weasleys so how could she honestly think she could handle being a parent, or at least a parental figure to a teenage boy? She must be mad, maybe even as mad as Bellatrix.

When she got to the common room, she did not spot the shock of red hair that she so desperately needed to see right then, knowing that even the sight of Ginny would help settle her nerves. This was a crazy situation and she was at a loss how to proceed. She recalled that there was currently a Quidditch thing scheduled for that afternoon. With a roll of the eyes and a sigh she sat down in her favorite chair by one of the windows and decided that maybe now she could get into the book she had bought on lesbian relationships in the magical world or whatever that particular book was actually about. The whole book had been rather vague if one went by the title since it hadn’t really said anything. All you could really tell by the title was that it was designed for lesbian witches. It was still the one thing on the subject that she owned that she hadn’t really looked into and she had that book with her the whole time, which made her feel a bit like an idiot. Life had been busy right after she had bought it and it wasn’t a surprise that she hadn’t read it before. Impulse had gotten her to put it in her bag before leaving to head up to school, mostly in the hopes that she would have some free time to read it between studying and everything else and now it looked like she did.

The book sounded like just the thing she might need in order to get her mind off the issues surrounding Simon and back onto a subject that gave her far, far more happiness, Ginny. Once she got settled she pulled out the book and made sure that no one could read the title and started reading the first chapter. This was something she was looking forward to. Who knows, there might even be something fun in there that she could use on Ginny to make her scream in ecstasy or maybe it would tell her something she needed to know about how lesbians got along in the magical world. Either would work for her, but she was kind of hoping for the screaming.


	27. Chapter 27

Twenty-seven

The days moved from September into October with no real change except that the school work intensified for the fifth and seventh years by a good measure. What also didn’t help matters was that Ginny was busy with classes and Quidditch practices and Hermione’s work as Head Girl kept her occupied. Because of how busy they both were and how much they were doing, the two of them pretty much only saw each other in passing, in shared classes and spent what time they could together more often than not studying in the Library with Luna and Simon. All of that difficulty in connecting made Hermione wish desperately that Ginny was sleeping in her room, rather than one floor down with the rest of the girls her year. Sure the fact that they were sleeping together on the weekends was lovely but Hermione just missed the warmth and comfort of holding her girlfriend close to her and being held. Perhaps she should go and talk to Madam Pomfrey about the whole situation, as she had awoken several times after nightmares and could only curl up and shake, crying in the dark, too jangled up to even get out of bed or even cry out to Topsy for help. Having Ginny there would have made everything better as she knew that her girlfriend would have taken care of her.

She was also aware that she wanted this to happen because it was getting closer to the date that Ron had abandoned Harry and her during the Horcrux hunt. It had torn her up so much inside when that had happened and to a degree she was still trying to get over that. Sure she understood what had happened because of that damned Horcrux and Ron’s reasoning but emotional reasoning did not respond well to logic. She could tell just by how she was feeling at the moment that she would not sleep well that night and probably have a nightmare and that was bothersome. Then there was the additional fact that both Harry and Neville were both in Auror training. The whole notion was crazy. How could Harry go and do that after all the pain and suffering the war had caused him? How could he go through the combat training and not have flashbacks or episodes? He had actually died for a short while and that alone disturbed her. It was beyond her ability to understand. Why would he willingly do that to himself? And that didn’t even get into the question of Neville and why a gentle boy like him would do that?

Ginny poked her in the side, to try and get her attention, distracting her from wherever her thoughts were leading her, “Are you okay Kitten?”

Hermione just shrugged, kind of unsure of how to respond to that. There was a lot going on in her mind that was hard to get a handle on. “I guess I’m just feeling a bit melancholy.”

Ginny frowned a little at that. “What’s wrong?”     

“I just have a lot of stuff on my mind is all, nothing for you to worry about.” replied Hermione, trying to brush the topic away. She really did not want to think about any of it and wished she could hide from it to a degree. Since Ginny was not supposed to be staying in her room then it didn’t do her any good to point some of these things out.

“Look ‘mione, we covered this over the summer, if something is bothering you tell me about it. I know you tend to hold things in and that leads to you eventually breaking down because of the pressure, which I don’t approve of.” Ginny reached out and ran a hand down Hermione’s face, to cup her cheek lovingly, her soft brown eyes locked with Hermione’s. “Besides now you have me worried and if I’m worried about you then I can’t focus on my game and with the match against Ravenclaw this weekend I wanted to be focused. They actually seem to be pretty good this year.”

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly, not wanting to dislodge the hand. “I see, so it’s all about you then.”

“Well, if it makes you smile, even briefly, then yes, yes it is. Fred and George taught me that dwelling on things you can’t change only makes you grumpy and can possibly drive you insane or worse, into becoming someone like Percy. They focused on what they could change and on how they could make their lives better. George is still like that or at least he’s working on it. So how can I not try to act like them when my Kitten needs cheering up?” said Ginny with a faint smile, rubbing her thumb along Hermione’s cheekbone.

Hermione smiled back. That actually made sense and was moving. She knew how Ginny felt about Fred, and so to have mentioned him meant this was important to her. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you, Kitten.” Ginny smiled at her lovingly.

She hugged the redhead and sighed in relief. Ginny’s intervention had helped shift her thoughts from their downward spiral and had made her feel better but it also kind of reinforced the nickname for her that she had been toying with. It made a perfect kind of sense with her personality and looks and it also had a cute diminutive that worked with the short form of her own nickname. While that was a bit more adorable than she usually went for, it was kind of fun in this instance. She could be cute on occasion and this was certainly the time for it. She decided to try the name out and see what Ginny thought, or at the very least what the reaction would be. She nuzzled against Ginny and said, “Mmmmmm… my Vixen.”

Ginny started and pulled her face back to look at Hermione a bit confused, “Wait… what?”

At that point Hermione knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was the perfect nickname for Ginny, sitting up with a bit more bounce. She was going to enjoy this and the confusion was certainly banishing the mood she had previously been in. All of this was giving her a warm feeling inside and that made her smile a little, “Vixen. Do you like it? It’s the nickname I came up with for you.”

Ginny groaned and lowered her face into her hands. “You have got to be kidding me Hermione.”

“Nope. I like it. Honestly Gin, the name fits you so very well. Between the color of your hair and your attitude and your quickness how does it not fit you?” challenged Hermione, knowing that there really was nothing that Ginny could say that could challenge her on this point. She had put a lot of thought into this and had gone through a number of things until she had arrived at this one.

“You know… I should know better than to argue with you. It never ends in my favor. Hell, it never ended in Harry or Ron’s favor either so why should I expect to do any better. So let me see if I can guess… Kitty and Vixy?”

Hermione’s broad grin was the only answer needed for confirmation of that.

“Why me? Why did I have to fall in love with someone with a sense of humor like yours? At least Harry was actually funny every once in a while. It’s sad. Maybe what’s wrong is that you got your sense of humor from your Dad?” jokingly said Ginny, with a grin, obviously teasing.

With a huff, Hermione lurched forward and began to tickle Ginny, making the girl squeal and squirm in her arms. This continued for a little bit, with Ginny retaliating some, before Hermione stopped that attack and instead kissed Ginny, moving in to make it a deeper kiss. Ginny complied happily, opening her mouth at the first invitation and the two of them leaned against the window sill snogging for a bit. They were lost in the pleasure of each other and the rest of the world fell away from them. “Ahem.”

Ginny and Hermione leapt apart and turned, lowering down out of regular line of fire, wands snapping out towards the source of the sound. Professor Cottington just stood there looking at them with some amusement on her face, her eyebrow raised appraisingly. “Miss Weasley, Miss Granger perhaps next time you decide to have such a public display of your affections, you both might want to choose a more secluded spot to engage in such activities.”

The two girls blushed at her words, standing up rather abashed, and that got the professor to snicker. “You two… you really should watch that. I really thought you two would be more on guard of your surroundings but your reaction time, movement, and draw abilities are quite impressive. Most Aurors I have known do not have skills like that.”

“Yeah, and most Aurors have not been actively hunted by a psychopath.” grumbled Hermione a little too loud.

“That is very true Miss Granger. You both had to go through some truly insane events in the last few years if what I have read is only halfway correct. You learned in the worst way possible, life or death, because the learning curve is so steep and the cost of failure so extreme. You do have a very keen grasp of both the theory and practical in Defense, more so than most anyone I’ve ever met who was not a professional. That kind of knowledge and grasp of the subject only comes from actual combat experience and surviving life or death situations.” Professor Cottington said gently.

Ginny snorted in amusement at the assessment. “If you think we’re fast or good at this stuff, you should see Harry. He’s bloody amazing.”

“Harry? Harry Potter?” It was clear that Professor Cottington, for all that she knew about the two of them was still having some issues making those connections. Hermione had to agree, as it was difficult to connect someone standing in front of you with someone who was ‘famous’.

Hermione nodded in agreement with Ginny. He really was in his own category. “Let’s see, he got double Os for his OWLs and he only got better from there. He even managed a full body Patronus in third year that drove away over one hundred Dementors. It was all the Dementors stationed at the school at the time and I’m not sure how many that was. Killed a basilisk at twelve. I guess you could say he has a few skills in this field.”

Professor Cottington raised her eyebrows, obviously impressed just like everyone else was that had heard about that, ignoring Ginny’s snort. “That is far outside of the norm of what an adult could do. But then again he did defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named so he had to have had some skill at combat and defense.”

“You have no idea.” said Hermione quietly, with a shudder.

Ginny sensing her discomfort at this turn in topic moved over and hugged her from behind. She spoke softly into her ear, “It’s okay, it’s all over.”

“I’m sorry if I brought up a sensitive topic Miss Granger.” Professor Cottington did seem rather contrite. “It was not my intention to do so.”

“Thank you Professor. I still have… some issues with parts of the last year. It was rather hard on me, Harry and Ginny’s brother Ron, perhaps harder than it needed to be.” admitted Hermione.

Their Professor nodded, a bit distracted herself. “War and conflict can often leave scars that don’t show on the outside as well as the obvious ones. I am sorry that those troubles hurt you in that way. You are a good person and did not deserve any of that. I know how hard that can be for you to deal with and get over.”

“You mentioned that before.” said Hermione, growing curious. “I was wondering about that.”

“Yes. I know I didn’t mention it in class but I fought in the first War against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I was a Hit Wizard then, and had been on the force for several years and I knew Potter, Black and the Longbottoms, working with the three of them as needed for support and back up. We fought together several times against Death Eaters as well as followed up on more normal cases. After the war, I needed to get away from here and do something different as I just couldn’t deal with being here, especially if I had to see people I had fought several times like Malfoy walking around free because of their money and lies. So I took a reduction in pat and began working at Embassies on protective details in order to keep working and to get away from the country that had let me down. I still had to fight and such, but far less often and I saw far less of man’s inhumanity to man on a daily basis. And being the head of the details made sure I didn’t have to do the grunt work.” Professor Cottington looked off into the distance, despite their being inside, at something only she could see. Hermione had no idea what specifically she was seeing, but she did understand, doing that herself occasionally where she kept having visions of friends now passed, of those painfully calm moments in combat where your fear and the realization of what was actually happening would consume you whole. “That time away helped me heal but I still have occasional problems at times.”

“So what you’re saying is that eventually I will get better and heal from all of this but there will always be issues?” asked Hermione a touch worried. Would she never be free of this pain? She rubbed the old ache in her left forearm.

“Think of it more along the lines of the fact that there will always be a scar there to remind you of what you went through. You will heal and get past the worst of it but something will remain. And like I said, some scars can be on the inside but that doesn’t make them any less valid. Why do you think there are so many potions that deal with this sort of thing? You need to remember that damage is damage, whether it is on the inside or outside.” Professor Cottington shared a compassionate look with her that clearly showed that she understood what she was talking about.

Hermione looked thoughtful at her words and Ginny was rubbing her back comfortingly. Realizing that she had something else running around in mind and this was a good chance to bring it up with someone who might have a say in the matter, Hermione met their Head of House’s eyes and asked, “Thank you for that Professor. It gives me a lot to think on. No one has quite put any of this to me that way. To change topics, well only a little, but anyway, would it be possible to have Ginny move into the Head Girl suite with me?”

Professor Cottington looked at her for a moment, confusion clear on her face and she blinked at her, then she asked slowly, “Wait… are you saying she hasn’t been staying with you?”

“You thought I was staying in there?” asked Ginny quite surprised to hear that her Head of House had simply assumed that she was sleeping in the room with Hermione.

“Well, I know that you were supposed to be helping Miss Granger here with her nightmares and such, so I thought that was where you had been this whole time. I know those are not things that simply go away or follow any sort of time table. They just don’t go away because you want them to or think you’re better. You mean you have been leaving her alone?” Now Professor Cottington seemed surprised.

“Well, not every night and if things are bad she sends the house elf to come get me and I head on up, but we were under the impression that I couldn’t move in to the room without getting the Headmistress’s permission?” Ginny seemed a bit abashed and it was also clear she wasn’t exactly sure why.

The Professor lowered her head and shook it back and forth slowly; letting out what could only be described as a sigh of long suffering. “Not really. I can also give you permission to move into the room with her and because I know that this is not just a case of you two wanting to shack up and have lots of sex but rather a case of Medical Need that has to be addressed, I give you both permission to do so. Hermione, if she was giving you comfort while you slept, sleeping apart from her too early could actually set your healing back to a degree and make the whole process more difficult than it needed to be. True, you will have to wean yourself off her at some point so you don’t create a dependency, but why don’t we let your Healer make that call farther down the line when you are not being bothered by nightmares. As someone who knows what you are going through, I would rather you were happy and able to sleep well than anything else. If all it takes is Miss Weasley, all the easier. We wouldn’t want your sleep troubles to affect your school work now would we?”

Both young women were rather surprised at this pronouncement and blinked rather dumbly for a moment before they both started thanking her at once. This got Professor Cottington to start laughing, “Its okay girls, really it is, I completely understand. I am just looking out for you. After having part of a building dropped on me and one of my friends killed at the same time, I had to sleep for a year with a stuffed dragon that I had gotten as a little girl. Clutching it was the only way I felt safe enough to really sleep through the night, so I actually do understand.”

“Wait… you mean that stuffed Welsh Green in your office?” asked Hermione, remembering the old and clearly well-loved stuffed animal she had seen when she had tea with the Head of House during the first week back at school. She had wanted to ask about it but the natural flow of conversation had never really given her a decent opening.

“Yes, that stuffed Welsh Green. Please don’t tell anyone about that. Can you imagine what people would think of me if they knew that, the old Hit Wizard and her stuffed Dragon, though I must admit she has come in handy in dealing with a few frightened or homesick first years so far.” The Professor smiled and chuckled to herself at the very notion.

Ginny held her hands up, “No problem. We aren’t going to spill that fact to anyone. And thank you again.”

“Don’t mention it. And if you two need anything at all feel free to ask.” She turned and walked off.

The two of them sat there watching her go and then turned to face each other, smiles growing into broad cheek aching grins. Hermione said, “I guess this means…”

“I guess it does.” Ginny’s sparkled with mischief. She bounced a little in her excitement, barely containing a squeal.

“Topsy!” called out Hermione enthusiastically.

When the house elf arrived, Hermione was still grinning like a maniac, bouncing a little herself. “Yes Miss Grangy?”

“Topsy, Professor Cottington has just given her permission for Ginny here to be able to move into the Head Girl suite with me. If you are not too busy with your other tasks would you be able to gather her things up from her room and move her upstairs?” asked Hermione rather properly.

Topsy smiled at Hermione, obviously pleased for her. “Topsy can do that Miss Grangy. I know where all of your Wheezy’s things are.”

With that the house elf disappeared to take care of that task. Ginny started snickering, turning her head slowly towards Hermione who was blushing slightly. She raised one eyebrow at the brunette, “Your Wheezy?”

“Apparently Weasley is a tricky name for them to say. I have no idea. It must be a House Elf thing. I do think it’s cute though. And it is true, you are mine.” stated Hermione, her grin becoming softer and more sensual.

“I am.” Ginny grinned, moving closer to her girlfriend. “I am completely yours. And you are mine.”

“So what should we do now? I mean, that has certainly changed things up.” commented Hermione, still a bit dazed by what Professor Cottington had just approved.

“Well, I guess we can grab Simon and get Luna before heading down to dinner early. We would need to get going anyway soon. Otherwise I can’t really think of anything else we can do.” stated Ginny.

“That makes sense. Then we can get some studying done afterwards. We have those essays in Transfiguration to get done.” said Hermione.

“That’s true. And doesn’t Simon have that Potions project?” asked Ginny, trying to remember.

“I think so. I brought the appropriate journal with me so he could get a bit of a jump ahead over people thanks to Lupin’s assistance.” Hermione grinned. She was sure that with the right help, Simon would be able to get Os in almost all of his classes. He really was a clever kid.

Ginny shook her head. “Are you trying to turn him into a little you?”

“What? I’m not doing anything of the sort. He is doing that all on his own. Besides, we are really close. You know I worry about him.” said Hermione.

“I know Kitten. You really do a good job looking out for him. He is lucky to have the most dangerous person in the castle looking out for him.” Ginny smirked at Hermione.

Hermione rolled her eyes at this. Was she ever going to be able to live that comment down? “Honestly Ginevra.”

Ginny smiled at her. “Speaking of Simon, what are you hoping happens?”

“I don’t know. Madam Pomfrey and Headmistress McGonnagall said that they would look into the situation some more and take care of things. I haven’t heard anything back from them in a bit so I am a bit worried. I am supposed to stay out of the loop from now on and they want me to not tell Simon any of this. It needs to stay some sort of secret. At this point I apparently need to be cut out of the whole process since I am not really staff. It just makes me so frustrated.” Hermione frowned as she said this. It was not something she was pleased with but it was something that she had to deal with because she knew neither woman was going to back down. They weren’t even remotely known for doing that and while there were a lot of people she could intimidate neither woman was on that list. She just wanted to make sure that Simon was taken care of but this whole thing was out of her control right now and she was not a fan of that.

“I guess you really need to take your mind off the whole situation, which I guess is what you have been doing, or at least trying to do. What can I do to help?” asked Ginny, offering her assistance openly.

“I don’t know. I have a meeting with the Headmistress soon as she has something she wants to talk to me about. That might give me some more information on all of this but I have no actual idea.” said Hermione, the frustration clear in her voice. “She’ll let me know what the topic is when I get there I guess.”

“Any clue what it could be?”

“No, she’s being really secretive so it could be Simon or it could be something else.” Hermione shrugged. “I do kind of wonder. It’s not like there really are that many things it could be… right?”

Ginny rested a hand on her arm comfortingly. “Well, I don’t think it will be that long until you know. Don’t worry about it.”

“That reminds me…” Hermione bit her lower lip. She had not really found a good moment to tell Ginny about this and was hoping that she would be good with it, especially since they would be sharing a room from now on. If Ginny was upset with her things could get awkward very fast. “I need to tell you something.”

Ginny looked at her a bit concerned, “What is it Kitten? You seem nervous.”

“Well… I… did something last time that Simon was talked about and I should probably talk to you about it, seeing as we are in a relationship now.” Hermione stammered a little.

“Yes?”

Hermione took a deep breath and said, “I offered to become Simon’s Guardian if he has to be taken from his family.”

Ginny closed her eyes and sighed. “Of course you did.”

“Are you mad?” Hermione asked in a very small voice.

Opening her eyes again and smiling weakly at Hermione, Ginny replied, “Not really. Surprised, unsure what this means, trying to make sense of this all but mad… no I’m not mad.”

“I just thought that Simon might want to be watched over by someone who he knows.” Hermione rubbed her left arm. She was sure she had done the right thing but since she was in a relationship she had to take Ginny’s thoughts into consideration and she hadn’t. That was unfair and she would understand if Ginny were upset.

“I get it, I really do, I just need to think about it before I can really say anything else. Let’s go get Simon. I’m getting hungry and you know the dangers of denying a Weasley stomach.” Ginny gave her a weak smile and extended her hand.

They went and got Simon from where he was studying, hidden behind a stack of books in a manner very similar to Hermione. He still hadn’t really connected with some of the others of his year but it was getting better than it had been at the start of the semester. As best as Hermione figured it had to do with the social issues stemming from the abuse and that made her want to find and hurt whoever had done this to him even more. He was actually making more friends with the four girls in his year, since he was able to connect to them better thanks to hanging out with the trio. Apparently they were teaching him something about communicating or helping him to trust women or something. It was kind of cute to see him sitting in the common room surrounded by the girls, all talking away about various things, though he still was a bit shy and quiet on the whole around others. Once they collected him Hermione checked the Map really quickly and found Luna. From what it looked like on the Map, she seemed to be skipping around the third floor and occasionally turning in circles.

A bit confused, the group headed down there and came around a corner to where Luna was skipping. She was humming to herself and listening to something the Grey Lady was telling her. That surprised the group and they froze, but the motion was enough to get the attention of the other two. The daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw caught sight of them and was about to leave before Luna said, “Lady Helena, it’s okay. They’re my friends.”

The Grey Lady stopped and turned to face them, appraising them all. Hermione had to admit that her gaze was rather penetrating if not a little sad. “Very well Luna. It is good to meet you.”

Hermione bowed her head, well aware who this was thanks to what Harry and Luna had told her of their adventure looking for the diadem. “The same to you Lady Helena.”

Luna smiled at the three of them and asked, “Yes?”

“It’s dinner time Luna.” said Simon, a bit of a smile on his face, though his eyes never left the Grey Lady. He seemed entranced by her.

“Well, I guess we can talk some more later Lady Helena. We can’t keep a young boy’s stomach waiting. Who knows what horrors that might breed.” said Luna with her perfectly calm, flat voice.

The girls laughed while Simon complained, “Guys… that’s not funny.”

His stomach growled at that point making everyone laugh. Even the Grey Lady seemed a bit amused. Heading down to the Great Hall, the girls caught up with Simon about what he had been doing lately, as he had been very busy with classwork and getting to know the girls in his year group. He told them about Care of Magical Creatures and the project he had been working on in Astronomy with a few of the girls. For the three young women working towards their NEWTS, hearing about the first year assignments was actually rather calming and quaint. It was very relaxing hearing about these simple things though they did have Simon a bit stressed out.

Dinner went well and soon the three young women said good bye to him, as he was going to go hang out for a while with his friends before he came back to work on his Potions project and they headed up to the Library in order to get some more studying done. He had blushed a little when he said he was going to hang out with the ‘girls’. It took a lot of effort but they had not teased him when he said that but wished him a good evening. Once in the Library, they went to their usual study table, Hermione’s favorite table since her first year, and laid out their study materials, with Hermione pulling much more out of her book bag than should be possible thanks to applying similar charms to it that she had used on her bag before the Horcrux hunt. Ginny kept looking at the table and the growing pile of books, biting her lip then looking up which made Luna laugh.

Hermione looked up at Luna, noticed that the laughter was directed at Ginny, quirked an eye and asked her girlfriend, “Yes Vixy?

Luna snickered at that and looked over at Ginny and her shocked face, then started outright laughing. Ginny gave Hermione a wounded look as she asked, “Was that really necessary?”

It wasn’t really all that dignified but Hermione snorted and replied with, “Oh and like Luna doesn’t know my nickname?”

“You mean Kitten?” helpfully supplied Luna with a knowing smirk.

“Luna!” growled out Ginny. “Not helping.”

“Exactly. So, Vixy, what exactly were you pondering over there that had you looking so… mmmm… pensive.” Hermione drew the pause and the last word out, making it sound somewhat suggestive.

The effect of her words was lovely, as it got Ginny to blush bright red and look down at the table. She asked kind of quietly, “Do I really have to say?”

“You don’t want to share?” asked Hermione, as innocent as can be.

“Uhm… ok… fine… well, you see… I was looking at the table and at the placement of this nook, and the bookshelves and was considering just exactly what sort of spells we could use to isolate it from the rest of the room so that we could… you know… maybe snog on the table or something?” The words spilled out of Ginny as the color of her face deepened to the point where it practically glowed.

Hermione got this far away look of her own as she considered the idea that Ginny had put forth, snogging in the library, surrounded by all these books, in one of her favorite places in the whole world. Her eyes moved over the books and then over the rest of the room and what parts of it she could see from the table. She shivered happily at the naughty thoughts that played in her mind, feeling herself begin to grow damp at the notion and smiled at Ginny, her eyes alive and excited. “Well, let me know what you happen to come up with and I’ll see if I have any others that we might want to add into the mix.”

The astounded look on Ginny’s face made Luna bust out laughing again. “Oh Ginny, I do love it when you are shocked. It drives the Wrackspurts clear out of your head. Of course they take your thoughts with them, but you usually think clearly afterwards.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” commented Hermione, with a wink to the blonde.

“Can we get back to studying?” huffed Ginny, clearly a bit flustered by the particular direction the conversation had taken at that point.

“So have you figured out what spells you might needed then?” asked Luna, rather curious from an academic point of view. “I mean, to isolate the corner and such would take a layering approach.”

Ginny dropped her head onto her book rather hard and she groaned unhappily.

While the two others giggled in amusement, Luna smiled her usual smile and looked over at Hermione, saying, “I do enjoy this having friends thing. It is quite enjoyable and I really look forward to it continuing.”

Before anyone could say another word, a third year Ravenclaw boy ran into the nook, eyes a bit wide and panting, obviously frazzled. “Miss Granger!”

Familiar with the slightly panicked tone that the boy used, Hermione instantly was on alert. “What’s wrong?”

“There’s a fight in the corridor.”

She followed him out at a run, and when she got there, spells were still flying between what looked like some lower year Hufflepuffs and Slytherins but at this point she wasn’t sure exactly what years, as they were all younger than her. There were already a few people down on each side from the effects of minor curses and from the looks of things the whole thing seemed to be escalating towards something worse. Drawing her wand and casting a quick but strong Protego, she yelled, “Stop!”

The remaining five combatants were so focused on each other they did not respond to what she had called out. A few of the spells missed their targets and hit her shield harmlessly making her growl in irritation.

She narrowed her eyes in pure annoyance with this whole situation and cast a spell she had read about this summer but had never needed to cast before. She was completely familiar with it though and underpowered it a good bit as she cast it since the effects were sure to be magnified since they were indoors. The clap of thunder that boomed out dropped everyone in the hallway save her to the floor from both the shock and from the pressure wave, several of them even dropping their wands. The noise reverberated through the stone halls, rolling and echoing through the school. All eyes turned to face her, as she was the only one standing, legs shoulder width apart there in her mid-thigh skirt, blouse with sleeves to her elbows, a black vest and heels, looking around at all of them with absolute annoyance in her eyes. “What the hell is going on!”

With a flick of her wand she summoned all the combatants wands to her, since none of them were resisting. She held them together with her magic so she could grab them with a hand. No one spoke, including the bystanders, as some of them were still somewhat deaf from the power of the thunderclap she had unleashed upon. Others were simply dazed by what she had done and how quickly she had ended that conflict. As no one was making any noise yet, still staring at her with some measure of disbelief, she began silently casting countercurses, fixing the various problems that had affected students on both sides quickly. Once that was done and still no one offered up any explanation for their behavior, she turned and caught sight of Luna and Ginny who were looking at her bit funny. She couldn’t deal with that now as she had to deal with these bloody prats and the trouble they had caused. And on top of that she could tell by feel that the slight electric discharge from the spell was playing havoc with her hair. Bloody perfect! “Could you two get Professors Slughorn and Sprout? We’ll be in that classroom over there when they arrive. You others, leave. Now!”

The hallway cleared of bystanders quickly as the authority and irritation in her voice made it clear that she was not to be messed with. People responded to her as if it had been a snapped order from Snape. “All of you, inside. Now!”

As the students trudged into the classroom she tried to focus quickly to send her Patronus off to Cameron with a message about this, knowing that he would want to be in on this as well. It took her a moment to clear her mind enough to send it out after practically failing the first time. She wanted to make sure that the Slytherins did not think that she was picking them out specifically as the villains and having the Head Boy there to help speak for them would help with that. Hopefully he would get there soon but it wasn’t like she could sit on this problem until then. Once that was accomplished she walked into the classroom and slammed the door behind her, her anger lending her more strength than she expected by the sound the door made. “What in the name of Merlin do you all think you were doing? Fighting in the corridors? Are the lot of you looking to be expelled?”

One of the Hufflepuffs looked a bit crestfallen and she turned her way, focusing on the girl, “Oh, did you want to explain why this happened before your Head of House gets here and I tell her what I saw? From what I saw she would certainly be ashamed of her Hufflepuffs as at the end it was three on two.”

The girl looked up and then over at her other Puffs and then shook her head. Hermione closed her eyes and groaned, of all the times for Badger loyalty to kick in and muck things up. She didn’t need this grief. Her heart was pounding still and she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck raise up, as if someone were behind her. Turning in place, she made sure she was pacing back and forth, her eyes moving from one group to the other, to ensure she was well aware of what they were doing. “Right… if you all don’t start talking, I am going to simply recommend to your Heads of House that the lot of you get expelled for this little skirmish. I will even go to the Headmistress to make this happen if I must. Perhaps you missed the several rules about no fighting in the corridors or use of certain spells against each other or maybe even the fact that we are supposed to be working together this year? Well?”

Both groups were looking at each other nervously, as if trying to decide what to do. She could tell that their discomfort with things was growing. That was good. She cocked her head slightly to the side and narrowed her eyes just a touch, something she had done to the boys more than once to drive home the point of how she was feeling. It had worked on them and it should work on them as well. “I do hope that you all know that I’m not bluffing. I really am not known for my bluffing.”

The moment hung there tense and then all of them snapped and started talking at once. After a moment, when she couldn’t understand anything anyone was saying, she yelled, “Quiet!”

The students cowered back, obviously affected by her earlier display of power and how she was acting right now. She continued pacing, a bit more frenetic, as her nerves felt a bit frayed. Between the noise of their jabbering and everything her head was hurting more. With a quick gesture of her wand, she pointed to the Slytherin student that the others had looked to and then turned to face him. “You. You first.”

This clearly surprised the student and he stared at her uncomprehendingly for a moment as she still paced the room like a caged animal. He seemed to be vacillating between fear and confusion. Why was he afraid? That didn’t make any sense. Now that she thought of it, a number of them seemed afraid. “Uh… we… uh… there was a misunderstanding Miss Granger and things got out of hand.”

She stopped her pacing and turned to face him. Her head was pounding and she was a bit sick to her stomach and she really wanted to lie down but she had to deal with this rubbish right now. These idiots had to start a fight, didn’t they? Perhaps some of her discomfort was showing on her face? Could that be why he was so nervous and almost afraid? She locked eyes with him, moving closer, asking, “What’s your name?”

He swallowed heavily, his eyes never leaving her and answered, “Roderick Burke, ma’am.”

“So tell me Mr. Burke, do you really think that your description will even be remotely valid in this case? Hunh?” She stared him right in the eyes, arms crossed with her wand still held loosely and watched him flinch.

“No ma’am.” He was trembling slightly at this point. This was a new sensation for her, someone being afraid of her. Ron and Harry didn’t really count as that seemed to be more their survival skills. No this was something else.

“Well…?” She trailed off, hoping he would be bright enough to continue on and fill in the blanks. What was wrong with him? She was only asking questions about their fight. It wasn’t like she was interrogating him or something.

“We… we were challenged by the Hufflepuffs. They were saying we were the people who had attacked Burton and that they were going to show us. We denied the charge, words got heated, wands got drawn and there you go. That’s it, I swear Miss Granger.”

She had watched his eyes, trying to determine if he was telling the truth or not. She wasn’t completely sure if he was telling the truth but he certainly seemed too afraid of her at that moment to try anything like lie to her. That was very strange but she would take that right now if it would end this so she could go lie down. And seeing as no one really challenged the statement she had to believe it. Reaching up to rub her temple, she wished that this growing headache would simply vanish. She turned to the Hufflepuffs and the girl that they seemed to acknowledge as their leader in this. “Do you agree with everything Mr. Burke had to say?”

“Yes ma’am. Uh… he… uh… he told the truth, all except for the part where they say that they aren’t the ones that attacked Walden.” The girl looked very unnerved and really did not want to look her in the eyes, even though there was some pride and defiance in her tone. What was up with these students? Was it a Head Girl thing? This just eluded her. She continued her pacing, hoping that the movement might burn off the nervous energy that was filling her and making her heart race some.

“So let me see if I am following, instead of going to Professor Sprout with your supposed proof, you took it upon yourselves to attack them merely based off the fact that you believe that they are guilty? Do I have that correct?” Hermione wanted to make sure she had gotten the facts straight before she had to explain this incident to the Professors when they got here. From what she could tell no one was really in the right with this whole mess but the Puffs were far more in the wrong than the Slytherins. That was going to be fun to try and explain. Based on the spell work she saw flying about there was no question in her mind that any of these Slytherins were responsible for the attacks that had happened. The other spell work had been stronger and more precise, there had also been different spell choices. The attackers had to be older by at least a year, perhaps more. That pointed more towards fifth year than fourth.

“Yes Miss Granger.” replied the Hufflepuff, the last of her insolence fading as if she was really beginning to register the severity of what had occurred. Now she was kind of huddled amongst the other Puffs as if for safety. It was about time she got it through her head.

“Right. You are all to sit against the walls on the floor quietly and wait for the Heads of your Houses. No talking to each other or I will make sure that you cannot talk, are we clear?” she growled out, unaware of the somewhat crazed look in her eyes.

“Yes ma’am.” quickly replied the students, unwilling to cross her.

Hermione just wanted to rub her forehead even more and grumble to herself. The fight had made her tense up quite a bit and thankfully the types of spells had not really triggered too much of anything from what she could tell. The fact that Ginny was going to be in bed with her tonight was going to make dealing with all of this nonsense completely worth it. But for right now she had to keep her angry and upset face on and glare at these third years, making sure they were sufficiently cowed until someone came to take charge of them. It seemed to be working a little too well and she wasn’t sure why. She really could do with one of her calming draughts right about now.

She would have far preferred to continue flirting over this stupidity.


	28. Chapter 28

Twenty-eight

“You wanted to see me Headmistress?”

“Yes Hermione, please come in.” said Headmistress McGonnagall from behind her desk, waving her in with one hand.

Hermione came forward from the doorway and stopped in front of her, waiting politely. When the older woman made a gesture towards the chairs she sat down and had her hands in her lap, sitting patiently. Since she really had no clue what this meeting was about it was impossible for her to really start anything. The Headmistress looked up from her papers she had been going through, smiled at her favorite student, and then said, “I suppose you are wondering why I called you here.”

“Well, I must admit that I am kind of curious.” acknowledged Hermione with a bit of a smile of her own.

McGonnagall folded her hands together and rested them on the table before she spoke. “I actually have three things to talk to you about but we will start with the most pressing which you will need to take charge of immediately. I was just recently informed that on the 31st of October there will be an awards ceremony here on the grounds hosted by the Ministry of Magic. The Wizengamont has decided to officially celebrate our victory in the Second Wizarding War and that we should honor both those who fought and those who fell with speeches and awards as well as the addition of a tasteful monument to the fallen in the courtyard. As such I have been asked personally by the Minister to have you to contact the representative for this event at the Ministry and work as the Liaison.”

Hermione blinked at her. There was no way she had just heard what she had heard, right? “Wait, what?”

The Headmistress nodded, showing that she did understand Hermione’s consternation but continued on, indicating that she wanted to finish this before they started discussing the matter. “From what I have been told, they wanted to hold the celebration for this on the Anniversary of the end of the First War in order to link the two together and to remind everyone of the brave people who participated in that first conflict as this was essentially a continuation of the earlier conflict.”

With a wince at just how unthinking all of this was, Hermione said, “And I guess no one whatsoever has bothered to see if this ridiculous idea was okay with Harry? He doesn’t see that day as anything but the day he lost his parents. It’s certainly not some special day for him to celebrate anything. I’m not sure he’ll be pleased when he finds out about this. This whole plan sounds like a train wreck waiting to happen.”

Minerva McGonnagall nodded sighing in agreement and said, “While that may indeed be the case, the Wizengamot has chosen in their infinite wisdom to do this and we unfortunately have to help make this happen. It is not the best way for things to happen but it is regrettably what we are stuck with. And I gather that it means that you will need to talk to him when he gets here and try to explain things to him so he doesn’t go off on anyone or perhaps send him a letter in advance of the event to warn him of what is coming, so he does not walk into this blind. Harry really does not need any more grief in his life.”

Hermione groaned. This did not sound like a fun duty and it sort of sounded like it was going to eat up even more of her almost non-existent free time to make all the arrangements and deal with whoever was in charge of the event on the Ministry side. And did they really want to piss off Harry that badly, to celebrate something like that on a day that he pretty much disliked? She replied sarcastically, “Thank you. I appreciate that. I so enjoy talking Harry down.”

“I do sympathize Hermione. This is not an enviable position that you have been put into. I am aware that this task won’t be easy for you with everything else you have going on but I have faith in you. If it weren’t for the Minister insisting on your involvement I would have made someone else do this. I know that this will cut into your studies, but with how far ahead you are in every class, you should be okay for a few weeks. You will do wonderfully.” Headmistress McGonnagall smiled encouragingly at her.

She sighed, realizing that trying to struggle against this would be pointless. She would eventually agree to taking on this additional duty as she had a difficult time refusing her favorite instructor anything, even if it was a bit insane. With a nod of her head she conceded, saying, “So who is the contact for this fete?”

“Percy Weasley.” McGonnagall said dryly.

Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed, “Of course it is.”

The Headmistress snickered, eyes bright with amusement. “He is better than he was. Apparently the events of the last year have really shaken him up and changed his thinking. He is trying to fix things because of that. So it should not be too onerous a task.”

“We’re really having a rewards ceremony?” She was almost pleading for this to be untrue, for it to be a lie, for it to be anything but a fact. There was no doubt in her mind that her displeasure was showing on her face.

“Yes. I think the point that they are making is that the populace as a whole really needs this. I know that this will be hard on you and Harry, probably on others as well but I think overall more will be helped by the symbolism of it than not. This ceremony will help people heal more and have a sense of closure which I believe our society needs right now to move on.” explained McGonnagall, clearly aware that logic was the best tool when trying to convince her of anything.

Hermione looked thoughtful at that statement and mulled the whole notion over. After a bit of thought she had to admit that the Headmistress did have a point and even though it would be a hard day, especially for Harry, it probably would do other people a lot of good. Closure was a very good thing and providing something to formally close out that whole mess for the whole of wizarding society would bring the whole affair to an obvious end for the average wizard and witch who only knew things because of the Daily Prophet. It would just not be very good for her or Harry thanks to everything it would be bringing up but that was perhaps that was a further cost of their victory. She wasn’t sure about how Ron would be dealing with it because she wasn’t sure what Ron was going through thanks to how far apart they had grown, which was partially her own fault but also due to his own stupidity. But for the wizarding world to actually recognize the heroes of that day and to commemorate the fallen, there was healing in that even for them. She ran her hand down the inside of her left arm before she answered, “I can see your point. It’s just going to be hard to sit through all of that.”

“I know Hermione and for that I am sorry. However, I know it is something that we must sometimes do for the Greater Good.” Her smile was gentle and reassuring which succeeded in making the Head Girl feel better about the whole thing.

“What were the other things you wanted to talk about?” asked Hermione curiously, really wanting to get onto another topic. Even just tangentially thinking about that day was making her a bit twitchy and she would rather avoid that.

“Seeing as neither of the items is really all that pressing I’ll let you choose the next topic for discussion. I have some news about Simon and then there is that conversation you wanted to have about your future that we haven’t been able to get to and I finally decided to make happen.” McGonnagall smiled slightly at her, a bit amused by the last part of her sentence.

Hermione nodded, brows furrowed as she tried to decide which would be the easier topic to deal with at the moment. Did she want heavier and then light or to take a quick emotional break? She wasn’t exactly sure. “Right. Uh… can I hear about Simon? Knowing me I will just worry all about him during the other conversation and not give it the focus that it really requires. This way it’s not hanging over my head.”

“That’s understandable. Now, I wanted to let you know that I have talked to Simon about his situation, as you know that was the plan and even though he was reluctant to admit it, he did eventually come out and let me know that yes, he was abused. From what he said to me, his parents did not react well to the revelation that he was a wizard as it is apparently something abhorrent to their religious faith. That part was not as clear as the others. So, all of the more serious abuse is moderately recent, since he received his Hogwarts letter, though he did admit to getting punished rather severely when something weird and unexplainable happened when he was a younger child. Apparently if he was close to these incidences of accidental magic or they were related to him he was punished for them.”

“Poor Simon.” said Hermione quietly, her heart going out to the poor boy she had gotten to know. How could that feel, being betrayed by your own parents over something that was outside of your control? It turned her stomach to even contemplate it and made her want to find him and hug him tightly.

“Indeed. Now according to Simon, none of the other children in the house are being abused, and that has been verified by observation and it has also been assessed that his sister is a witch. We figure her accidental magic use will probably become more obvious in a short while now that Simon is no longer there to take the blame for her occurrences. The Ministry currently has the family under official observation and will pull her if they raise a hand against her. Meanwhile they are busy looking into placing him and his sister into a good home as soon as something can be arranged. Since this is Kingsley’s Ministry they are actually trying to do this legally and working with the muggle authorities, all properly covered of course by the Statute of Secrecy, but it is something to see nonetheless. From what I hear the muggle Prime Minister does not know what to do.” explained McGonnagall.

Hermione sighed in relief, glad to hear that things were being taken care of. She had been so worried about him and to have her worst fears for him verified was a nightmare. That there was hope on the horizon was a blessing. “So Simon won’t have to go back there at all?”

“No. From what I understand, when everything is completely arranged and finalized the Ministry will go into the house to get his things, the girl’s things and Oblivate the parents and brother, removing the two of them entirely from that family. That way that family goes on with no worries about any of this and the two of them can get on with theirs. That is what I was told. Apparently it would be difficult and painful for both Simon and his sister to have to go through the process of having their parents taken into custody and charged. And during the trial they would have to be under Crown care which would preclude Simon remaining in school or a suitable home being found. It is easier to let them go free and with some cunning bit of bureaucratic punishment rather than to truly take them to task for their crimes. So we need to make sure that Simon is taken care of while he is here and then, when the time comes, to escort him to his new home over Christmas break. Can I trust you to manage that? I would ask Mr. Boyle to do that but he is not familiar with the Muggle world and might have some troubles in trying to find the family at King’s Cross Station.” asked the Headmistress.

“You’ll tell me where to take him beforehand, right? And who to meet?” asked Hermione, a bit worried about where Simon might end up but sure that he would be taken care of from now on. There were a lot of families that had lost so much that would love a chance like this. This would give these families a second chance at having children.

“You will know before you get on the train. The Ministry is still dealing with this matter, as they have not found them a home yet. So I cannot tell you what I don’t know.” said McGonnagall. “Don’t worry, I was told that your name is still under consideration but somehow I doubt that it will come to that, especially with the six year old sister now in the mix.”

“Thank you Headmistress.” Hermione was really filled with relief to know that, despite the horror of the situation, Simon and his sister were actually going to be taken care of. It made her feel happy to know that she had been a part of that, but to be assured of his safety, that was a load off her mind.

“Now, since we have taken care of that less than pleasant topic, what was it that you have wanted to talk to me about concerning your future career choices? I take it you have been having some second thoughts about your plans for working in the Ministry?” asked McGonnagall rather astutely, breaking down the essentials rather quickly.

Hermione blushed a little at how transparent she must seem. “Yes, Headmistress. I’ve been thinking about my life a lot lately, ever since my… time at Malfoy Manor and because of that I’m not sure I want to do what is expected of me anymore. Everyone seems to expect me to end up working in the Ministry, doing something there and righting some sort of wrong, and the problem is that the more I’ve thought about it, the more I’m not sure that it’s something I want to do. I mean, I like some of the ideas in getting involved in the Governmental work, like directly advocating for House Elf rights, or improving the rights of Magical Creatures in general, and influencing the government to provide better rights for Muggleborn, but that isn’t all of my interests and joy. It isn’t even a good sized fraction of my interests anymore. I also dearly love researching and creating, writing is also something I enjoy a great deal and Ron and Harry have both said that I helped them understand things well when I was tutoring them every year in pretty much everything. So I have thought a lot about writing books on the various subjects I am interested in, or maybe even textbooks, because some of the ones we have are terrible, or I don’t even know, or maybe inventing spells or so many other things that catch my attention. I honestly have so many interests in so many different fields Headmistress that I have no real way to narrow any of this down to something that makes any sort of sense. I feel so confused right now and unsure where to go with my life.”

“Well, we both are aware of the simple fact that unless you simply give up, you will have the NEWTs to get into any field you want, in any subject you want and you have the skill and focus to pursue any Mastery you are interested in, so this is clearly not an issue of ability but rather of interest. It is also clear that you can get any job you want after you graduate because of your status of a major hero of the wizarding war, that and your name has actually been in the papers for years now so you are almost as much of a household name as Harry is so honestly Hermione, you really should just do what you want to do.” answered McGonnagall, trying to be helpful.

“But that’s the problem Headmistress, I honestly don’t know what I want to do,” complained Hermione sounding a bit frazzled. “I have too many interests and I feel that the whole Ministry route is what too many people expect of me, so I went along with it for the longest time without really thinking about what I wanted, what would make me happy. But if I do that I think it will pigeonhole me and just keep narrowing my life down more and more into this role until it chokes out all of my other interests and desires. I’ll become a caricature of myself instead of becoming myself more fully actualized. I… I just can’t stand the thought of that.”

Headmistress McGonnagall nodded, gazing at the girl compassionately. “I do understand. There are a lot of students who arrive here at Hogwarts and feel a great deal of pressure from their families to end up in a certain House or in a certain job, to go against their own desires and interests because of familial pressures. They allow their families to shape them because they cannot imagine life being any other way nor do they believe in themselves enough to even try. I know that your family has not done that to you but I concede to the fact that everyone else has and for my part in that I am sorry. I really do just want you to live a happy and fulfilled life. Yes the Ministry is one of our world’s most important institutions and I do believe that you could do quite well there but you are fundamentally correct, I do not think much has been made of your actual interests.”

“Well, to be honest with the Triwizard Tournament and then Umbridge and the DA, it really was difficult to focus on anything else besides schoolwork, keeping Harry alive and getting things ready for the Defense classes he was running. There really wasn’t time to think about the future in advance of that pre-OWL counseling. And with Voldemort hanging over our heads and the possibility of death in the near future being an all too real thing, thinking about the future didn’t really seem all that practical compared to simply dealing with the here and now,” admitted Hermione. It was something she had begun to realize as she had been trying to make sense of this particular issue and why it was plaguing her. All of these concerns came down to these very simple factors, with Voldemort really looming large in the factoring of the future. It really had been difficult to plan for things in the years ahead when a large part of yourself was expecting to die battling a Dark Lord at almost any minute.

“Well, now that you no longer have to worry about that, what sort of things are you interested in Hermione?” McGonnagall leaned forward some as she asked, interested in the answer.

“Everything! I love studying and learning. I love sharing that knowledge with others. I know I’m not as good a teacher as Harry is which all the work in the DA showed but I am still pretty good especially in other subjects. Defense just asks for that certain flair that he’s got. It’s just that I have so many things pulling me in so many different directions that I can’t figure out which way to go so I kind of feel like I am running in all of them and getting nowhere.” Hermione frowned, actually a bit distraught by this whole situation. She had wanted her life to be nice and orderly for years and ever since the Manor that need for order had been fading, as she knew that sort of control of her life was impossible. It had been swept away like so much dust, practically cut out of her.

“Maybe what you need to do is simply wait until after the Christmas holidays to make a decision at the earliest. Just relax, study for now and enjoy the time you are spending with Miss Weasley.” McGonnagall snickered at the bright blush that sprang up on Hermione’s cheeks when she mentioned Ginny. The Headmistress’s eyes twinkled a little. “Please give me some credit Hermione, as if I would not be aware who one of my favorite students was dating. Besides Professor Cottington also informed me of the room switch so I am well aware of how things are between the two of you not to mention Poppy keeping me appraised on the general state of your health which did mention her. So I am quite aware of all of this and you should know that I am quite happy for the two of you.”

“Eep.” Hermione barely managed to squeak that out as her eyes went wide and her fists tightened on the fabric of her skirt. Her mind started racing. She said it was okay, but if she had caught on had other Professors? But then again it wasn’t like they were hiding their relationship any so it was more like an open secret than anything else, available for anyone who cared to know.

“It doesn’t bother me Hermione. From everything I have seen and heard from all of your professors and Madam Pomfrey, the two of you have been nothing but good for each other. So long as that continues to be the case I have no issues with any of this. And the two of you cohabiting may be unusual but it is also not unheard of. There are married persons housing from an earlier time when such things were more common. Now, give yourself some time and we can revisit the whole career topic later when you have had more time to properly ponder the issue.”

Hermione nodded, her blush not even remotely fading. McGonnagall knew? And she didn’t yell at her over it? And it was clear that all the other teachers knew as well. That explained some of the looks she had noted from a few of the Professors over the last month. Her personal business was obviously less personal than she had believed.

“Very well. I will schedule some time to talk to you later Hermione, after the start of the New Year. Thank you for stopping by. Don’t forget to contact Percy in the next day so the planning for the Celebration can get underway.”

Once released she practically fled the Headmistress’s office, racing down the stairs and wanting to get somewhere safe, somewhere away, somewhere where she could hide from the world and forget about all that embarrassment. They all knew? What must they all think of her? Maybe she should either go outside or maybe to the Room of Requirement? She wasn’t sure which would be the better option overall but she knew that she needed the time. If she went outside she wouldn’t have to deal with most of the students, which would relieve her stress some and maybe it would help her just actually relax as she looked out at nature. She liked nature and it was actually soothing when she was out in it for a reason other than running from werewolves or hiding from Dark Lords or what not. It was also one of the few remaining nice days out there as time kept moving inexorably towards winter. Being deep in the Highlands like they were, the school was almost as far north as Stockholm and St. Petersburg, so it was no surprise to her that winter came to them a good bit sooner than it did to where she had grown up near London. The snow and cold were a large part of her school experience and so perhaps actually enjoying the outside while it was still pleasant might be the better option. The Room would be there later when the weather was inhospitable.

She headed outside, into the sunshine, still unsure what she was going to do, her mind awhirl with differing thoughts that kept crisscrossing and changing tracks. Everything she had just been told, all of it from her needing to contact Percy about the bloody ceremony for the dead to Simon’s abuse at the hands of his family to the suggestions about her future all had her mind in a spin. What was she going to do? How was she going to deal with all of this? There were so many things going on and it was starting to feel like she was falling out of control.

Wandering away from the school and down towards the Lake, Hermione knew that there were several areas she could go where she would be isolated from others and able to think in peace. Fundamentally, it wasn’t really a surprise that her life was kind of crazy if she really thought about it. It had been that way for years, in large part due to Harry. But this… this whole load that was on her was a good bit crazier than she usually dealt with and that was a bit disconcerting. Given that she had been brutally tortured by a mad woman only seven months ago, fought in a life or death battle for not just wizarding Britain but for the survival of all of it simply five months ago, found her parents again in Australia right after that and dealt with the fallout of their response to her having lied to them for the last few years and then Oblivating them, discovered three months ago that despite everything she had thought for years was a lesbian, got the girl of her dreams two months ago right after she had a massive emotional breakdown and had been dealing with PTSD among a few other issues for quite a while all due to the fallout of the War. Yeah… her life was perfectly normal. Why would she be having any problems? Seriously, was it any wonder that it felt like her head was spinning like a Dervish and about to pop?

And now she had NEWTs coming up at the end of this school year, plus her work as Head Girl including the Slytherin bullies and growing tensions, now this new nonsense with the ceremony, her worrying over Simon, her wonderful relationship that made her quite happy, the stress of their not having told Ron yet about her and Ginny nor the elder Weasleys, and her concerns over her future. Yeah… her head was simply going to explode at any point if she did not find some sort of way to relax and work some of this insanity out of her system. For any normal person they would barely have gotten over just the torture she had endured in March, let alone the torture and war in combination by this point. She completely acknowledged that in all honesty she would be a quivering mass if it weren’t for the potions and the love that Ginny gave her but this whole thing was getting to be a little too much. Just thinking about it made her sick to her stomach and if she belched she could taste acid. Sometimes it felt to her like living during a time of war had been so much simpler than this peacetime life.

Finding the copse of trees she had wanted, she sat down in that secluded spot, occluded from casual view and looked over the water, doing her best to relax, enjoying the view she had across the Black Lake. Several deep breaths later Hermione lay back onto the grass and looked up at the clouds, the sky only partially blocked by branches. Thoughts still churning in her head, she tried to remember the last time she had actually just laid on the ground and looked at the sky, trying to imagine what the clouds were. She cast her thoughts back and they kept going farther and farther in time until she remembered doing just this very thing with Ginny at the Burrow the summer before fourth year. Had it really been five years ago? Five years that had been filled with such chaos, conflict and insanity, with constant worry about something, with pain, blood, and death. Maybe there was a reason that she hadn’t done this since then. Thinking about it, so much about her fourth year felt like in had really been the end of her innocence, well whatever innocence had survived her first three years at the school. She just knew that she had very little of it left by fifth year and none at all really by sixth with all the death and injury and pain of the battle at the Ministry. In all honesty her torture by Bellatrix had not been that much of a surprise, as it would have been earlier in her life, but it had completely been a violation.

Letting her brown eyes drift back up to the cumulous clouds drifting across the light blue sky, Hermione wondered if she would ever really be able to just look up at the clouds with such innocent joy ever again? She used to love cloud gazing, trying to find as many shapes as she could in the clouds, as it really was a great tool in honing her creativity, one of the overused tools that had saved the three of them so many times in their mad adventures. Could she do that again? Could she ever go back to being that girl again? That girl who had such hopes and dreams untainted by such death and destruction and violation? Would she ever be clean of that stain, that corruption?

Feeling the slight burn of salt, she wiped her face, clearing the tears that were gently rolling down her face. Wiping her hands on her light jacket, she took a deep breath and sighed, trying to let the tension out that she knew had to be building up inside her. Crying over all of this had not been her intention when she had come out here but clearly that was not in her control at the moment. The heart wanted what the heart wanted. Her life was just so irrational that it honestly felt sometimes like she was almost getting buried under this mass of things. That she was trying to outrun an avalanche or in her worst nightmares the massive wall of Fiendfyre that had consumed the room where the diadem had been held. She took a ragged breath in, trying to breathe in deeply. It was getting broken up as her body was starting to shake with the growing force of her crying, deepening as if it had a will of its own. All of her attempts to calm herself were not working and that was not helping matters, the worry over that failure only ramping things up. The tears were starting to blur her vision no matter how fast she wiped, her breath starting to catch as the weight of everything began to press in on her physically.

The clasp of her book bag was not usually this difficult to work but her fingers felt so clumsy, thick, like she was wearing heavy gloves or her hands were not her own. Her life was just such a whirlwind of disparate things and she had no control, she was being torn apart by all these different forces and she was clearly doing a great job pretending that she was holding it together. She finally got the flap up and she began digging through her bag, shaking as she sobbed, her breath hitching and tight. There were so many things, just so many things overwhelming her and she was just a silly little girl, a silly little broken girl who really didn’t know what she was doing. Why were people always looking to her as if she had all the answers? She didn’t know anything. That had been proven time and time again and yet they still came to her as if she had a clue. Were they insane?

Her hands closed on a vial and she pulled it free. She tried to read the label and had to wipe her eyes several times in order to make the image clearer. When she saw that it was one of her pain relief potions she almost gave up. Frustration was added to everything else she was dealing with and tears filled her eyes again as she grasped about in her book bag. Why did she continue to struggle? What was the point to this anymore? She knew that fighting hadn’t really helped her when she had been held down in Malfoy Manor. When she had been trapped there on the cold marble floor she had been completely helpless. Where was her intelligence and supposed strength then? She had to be saved like the little girl she was. She even had to be saved when she fought Bellatrix at the Battle of Hogwarts. It was kind of sad really the more she thought of it, how the supposedly brightest witch of the age constantly needed help to do anything of any true value. What good was it to be bright if you were so ineffectual at everything you did? Like she had said first year, books and cleverness weren’t really useful. What she needed was to have a keeper to ensure that she didn’t hurt herself. She was really no better than a trained monkey in the end.

Crying aloud she kept digging through her bag for the calming draught she knew was in there, tears falling from her face and soaking the fabric. What a failure and a disappointment she was in so many ways. She couldn’t even find a simple little potion bottle. Maybe if she was lucky some first year or someone else could come along and rescue her from her own pathetic uselessness. Her body itched with remembered pain as she dug through the bag and her cries turned to deep sobs as pain began flaring through her limbs, curse pain washing through her. Memories of that thrice bedamned mocking laughter filled her ears and she could remember Bellatrix taunting her, calling her that hated name over and over, the feel of her hot breath upon her skin, the weight of the woman’s body pressed against her own, the burn of the knife splitting her skin. Maybe she really was that useless, that worthy of scorn? Maybe Bellatrix had been right and she really was just a useless little mudblood? Maybe she should just give up and lie there, to let the elements take her? The weight of everything was just so heavy and it was pressing down on her so hard. Her heart felt like it was clenching painfully in her chest, helped along by the nerve burning pain of the Cruciatus.

Hands clasping onto another bottle, she sagged slightly in relief, the tone of her sobs shifting and pulled it free, again trying to make sure she could see. The label was correct as far as her watery vision could tell and she drank down the calming draught, finishing the entire bottle in her worry, curling up after she had finished. She could feel the effects of the potion taking hold and her breathing slowed, her thoughts slowed, and she rolled onto her back looking up at the sky. Her vision felt a little like she was looking up from the bottom of a well but that was slowly resolving. One of the clouds she saw looked a bit like a flying toaster, one of the old screensavers that her father had liked when they had first gotten a personal computer. She struggled to smile and just lay there on the ground, letting her eyes take in the different clouds. That other one reminded her a little bit of a dragon. That one a teapot. Her thoughts just drifted, let free by the calming draught she had drained, the crazed chatter stilled by the potion. She then realized that things were stilling a bit too much, her body quieting too fast.

Another one of the clouds off to her side seemed to look a bit like a bluish silver horse galloping towards her, which made her smile lazily. It came closer, the gallop turning into a trot, than into a walk before the head lowered and nuzzled her face and hair gently. Hermione closed her eyes and sighed, drinking in the feeling of love that she could feel emanating from the creature, Ginny.

The girl in questions voice came out of the Patronus, saying, “Hermione, where are you?”

Hermione, lying there on the ground, knew she needed help and knew that Ginny would be the best person for it. She wasn’t sure if she could do this with how she was fading but she was going to try as this could be perhaps the only way that she would be found. Concentrating on how she felt when Ginny told her she loved her, Hermione cast her Patronus, focusing on it passing a message to her love and then leading Ginny to where she was. It was all she could do at the moment as her mind was too exhausted to do anything else and her remaining thoughts were slowing and blurring. Once the horse burst into its silvery form, amazingly bright and energetic, galloping off to go find her girl, Hermione felt a rush of weakness consume her body and her brown eyes drooped closed, her last sight the drifting varishaped clouds above.

HGHGHGHGHG

She opened her eyes and looked up at the far too familiar ceiling of the infirmary overhead. With an annoyed sigh she relaxed into the pillow and rolled her eyes. What exactly had she done this time? She ran her thoughts through the last memories she could recall and realized that she had more than likely consumed at least double or maybe even triple the calming draught that she had needed, draining what had remained in that vial in her anxiety ridden state. Groaning, Hermione rubbed her forehead in exasperation. This was all she needed.

“Ah good, you’re awake.”

Hermione turned to look at Madam Pomfrey and smiled faintly at her, somewhat mortified to be there. “Hello.”

“And how are you?” asked the nurse.

“Embarrassed.” admitted Hermione, with a faint blush.

“Why is that?” Madam Pomfrey raised an eyebrow in question, trying to understand what the problem was.

“I just realized that I took at least twice the draught or more that I had intended to. So essentially I did this to myself.” grumbled Hermione, unable to meet the older witch’s eyes.

Madam Pomfrey sat down next to the bed and asked, “Why did you need the draught earlier?”

“I sort of freaked out over some things and I guess I ended up having a bit of a panic attack. I realized that I needed the draught to help calm myself down but by then I was in such a state that I guess I just downed the whole thing instead of thinking clearly enough to drink just a half of what was left or even just a single dose. I don’t even know how much was even left in the vial anymore before I finished it.” said Hermione, being quite upfront with her failings in this. There was no reason that she could think of to withhold any of this from her, as her help in getting treated was what Hermione needed to heal.

“Should we go with single dose bottles instead?” inquired the nurse, aiming for useful feedback.

“I think so. That might help in situations like this when I might be too upset to be able to focus on self-regulating.” said Hermione. “I take it Ginny was the one who found me?”

Madam Pomfrey smiled fondly. “She did and rushed you in here after she did once a Patronus warning came in. I sent her off while I treated you and she should be back momentarily. Do you need to talk about it?”

Hermione pondered that and realized that it couldn’t hurt to open up about her concerns to the person who helped to regulate her medications. “I was a bit stressed out over things, especially new information and I was trying to relax. However before I could actually do that my train of thoughts led me into a downward spiral until I got worse and worse. Things just spiraled out of control. When I realized that something was wrong and I should have a potion it was a bit too late. All I knew was that in order to stem the tide, I had to get a calming draught in me no matter what the voices in my head were saying.”

“Perhaps you need to be doing more physical activity. It can help you in dealing with the stress you are under and it should help you in feeling better for a number of reasons. I have no doubt that Miss Weasley will be able to come up with a suitable exercise regime for you to follow as she is rather well versed in that area.” The nurse smiled at her.

With a slight blush, Hermione looked away and nodded. Oh Merlin, there was no way that was on purpose… right? Did Madam Pomfrey actually mean to imply that? “I am sure she can. Thank you.”

“Feel free to get out of bed if you wish but I am going to insist on you waiting here and resting until Miss Weasley returns in a little bit to collect you. I do want to ensure that we have no other mishaps like this today. Having the same patient come in with the same problem reflects poorly on me. I will have your house elf switch out the vials for you so we can avoid a repeat of this potion issue.” stated the nurse.

“Thank you Madam Pomfrey. That really means a lot to me.” Hermione got out from under the covers of the bed and sat on it, lying back against the pillows. She purposefully did not let her thoughts wander down any of the alleyways that had led to her collapse earlier, well aware of how counterproductive that would be. There was relaxing and then there was an enforced nap due to too much calming draught. Right now all she wanted was to see Ginny and get out of here, maybe go for a walk around outside for a while and just relax with her girlfriend. Going to the room wouldn’t be a bad choice either. She would probably tell her all about her problems, sharing with her everything that was going on, even though Ginny was aware of the majority of it all. She knew that Madam Pomfrey was going to be updating her on what had gone down that day anyway so she was sure she needed to tell her all about that as well. The nurse was only taking care of her by doing that and she didn’t mind all that much. There really was only so much a woman could do and this problem was taxing a good deal of it. She only hoped that telling Ginny of her woes would not upset the redhead too much and she would be able to get assistance.

The doors at the end of the Hospital Wing opened and she turned to look at the sound. There was her best girl, Ginny, heading towards her with that somewhat cocky stride of hers, hips swaying in an enticing manner and a smile growing on her face as she saw that Hermione was sitting up on the bed. Hermione smiled back and her heart beginning to race at the sight. Merlin she absolutely loved that girl.


	29. Chapter 29

Twenty-nine

“Excuse me Miss Granger, might I have a word with you before you leave?”

Hermione looked up from where she was packing away her things into her book bag after potions class towards Professor Slughorn who was standing by his desk smiling amiably. She was kind of wondering what this was all about as he rarely held students after class. “Certainly Professor.”

She quickly retrieved a scroll from her bag and handed it to Ginny, “Could you drop this off to Professor Vector really quick and tell her I am running a bit late. She likes to collect up the homework at the beginning of class and I would hate for it to be late.”

“No problem Kitten. I’ll also let her know you’ve been delayed.” With a quick grasp of her girlfriend’s hand and a warm smile, Ginny took the homework scroll and left the potion’s classroom.

Professor Slughorn drew his somewhat ornate wand and closed the door with a flick, casting a few security charms rather quickly. Hermione knew them all, naturally as they weren’t the highest level ones, and was intrigued by the notion that the Professor felt the need to cast them for this. What exactly was this conversation going to be about? Was there something going on that required this sort of discretion? “Thank you for staying behind Miss Granger. I wanted to first commend you for the manner in which you dealt with that unfortunate scuffle the other day between some of my students and the Hufflepuffs. Not many would have actually tried to listen to what the Slytherins had to say for themselves and see if it were the truth before punishing them.”

“No problem Professor. I knew the students fighting in that squabble were too young to have been involved in the more serious incidents with either of the students in question so this had to be something else. And when your student tried to cover things up as well, sort of protecting all of them, I figured that this basically had to be a massive misunderstanding. I knew you and Professor Sprout would suitably punish them for their mistakes, though your students only fault lay in the actual fighting not in starting the fight so I just had to find out what happened. There really was nothing special about it,” stated Hermione succinctly, wanting to make clear her point of view on the matter.

“This fairness of yours Miss Granger is a rare quality. It is not something that is seen in most witches or wizards from any of the Houses, usually there is a good degree of bias due to House loyalty and all that. Because of that ability of your to look beyond that, surely you will go far in whatever endeavor you choose to pursue once you leave the school and I do hope I can be no small part of your success.” He grinned at her in that ingratiating way of his.

Hermione wanted to roll her eyes at how much Slughorn was schmoozing her here but she knew that even though he was a bit abhorrent as a person he did have some impressive contacts throughout the wizarding world that could be of use at a later date. Some of the people she had met at that Slug Club meal had been rather impressive. That was about his only value as far as she was aware. “Thank you Professor. I am sure your assistance will be most appreciated.”

The professor beamed at her, clearly preening under the implications of praise and then said, “Yes well, the other bit of business I had for you is that Mister Boyle and I have not been able to narrow down a possible list of culprits for your mystery attackers. We are aware that there are a number of unhappy students in our house, particularly in years fourth, fifth and sixth, who most closely fit your parameters. We have tried talking to the House as a whole about these issues and how this course of action will ultimately affect us all but we are unsure if it has had an effect. Sadly given our students’ cunning and ability to hide what they are feeling you may actually have to catch them in the act for the seriousness of this to fully register with them. I just have to hope that our talk with them has not made them more cautious and more cruel.”

“I do hope that as well Professor. I know you are trying your best and we will get them at some point.” replied Hermione, really wishing that the attacks would just stop.

“Anyway… that was all I had for you. Here is a note for you, Miss Granger. I do hope that Septima has no issue with you coming in to her class a bit late, but as you are one of her favorite students I rather doubt that will be the case.” He smiled at her as he handed over the slip of parchment. “Thank you Miss Granger.”

“Thank you Professor.” Hermione grabbed the last of her things and hurried up from the dungeons that held the potions lab towards the first floor classroom in the Turris Magnus where the Advanced Arithmancy class was held. It was a bit of a walk but at least it wasn’t say Care of Magical Creatures she had to get to with that walk down hill towards Hagrid’s hut.

She knew that she wasn’t too late, and as she was usually the first one done with her work and was read so far ahead in the textbook that it was a bit ridiculous so she really wasn’t all that worried either about anything. There was no doubt in her mind that Professor Vector would be fine with her coming in late and she knew how to enter a classroom without disturbing others thanks to Harry and Ron. As she headed that way she paused, realizing something. She was alone and unsupervised. With a grin that would have made people wonder if she had been polyjuiced, Hermione pulled out the Map to check to see if there was anyone about.

The hallways were clear of people and from what she could tell no paintings seemed to be paying particular attention to her. This made her grin. She had a window of opportunity here for more mischief and she was fully planning on taking it, if for no other reason than for the sheer fun of it. Reaching into her book bag for one of her special project bags she had made for just these sorts of occasions, she pulled free the little ties that would do what she wanted. She silently and wandlessly slipped them over the door handles to all the classroom doors along the path she took, which did take her past a good number of them, making sure to activate the spell that they had been charged with. She grinned, looking forward to the mischief this would cause, well aware that this was a common route for most students and that would muddy the trail if anyone tried to figure out who had done this. And with those ties and how they were made, there was very little that could be traced to her or Ginny and they sort of blended into things, making them harder to spot against the wood of the doors. And since they were not a spell cast on the door per se, a Finite Incantatum would not work on it either. That was another interesting thing she had learned from the notebooks, something she had wished she had known about earlier but it was still lovely to know now. Her knowledge of magic just kept expanding and deepening.

Once one was on the final door that she could most easily reach, with her added excuse of a bathroom trip getting her within reach of several more doors, she then went into her class to take care of her in class work and see what would happen when everything was over. Professor Vector smiled at her and took the note, not even glancing at it, trusting her implicitly. Of course the Head Girl would have permission to be out and about between classes. Someone like that would be beyond reproach. Hermione wanted to roll her eyes at herself at how she was abusing the teachers trust in her but instead focused on what the teacher was talking about in transfigural analysis and how the math there could then be moved over into runes in order to create objects that changed shape and size. Some of the work was rather challenging due to the precision involved but since she had figured this all out herself when she had made her expanding bag just before the Horcrux hunt she was only partially paying attention to the lecture. Granted there were a couple of fine points she had not gotten from her reading that Professor Vector covered but on the whole she was well ahead of everyone in class in both the theoretical and practical. In a lot of ways her muggle classes in mathematics placed her very far ahead of everyone as she already had the number theory down and only had to add the magical to her work.

She took her notes and did the short bit of in class reading, which was a simple review, before it was time for the in class assignments. Knowing that she knew this material she took her time to get it right and ensure that she still had the process correct rather than to simply blaze through the work in order to impress the Professor with her speed and skill. Doing the work this way was actually rather relaxing to be honest. Despite working in that manner she was still the third one done with her work but she was the only one who did not have to go back and nervously go over it a few moments later as if it could be wrong. She was completely confident with her work. Realizing that there really was no other option, Hermione stood and took her work up to the front of the class and put in on Professor Vector’s desk.

The woman smiled at her, “Thank you Miss Granger. Please study quietly, whatever you want.”

Hermione nodded in silent answer and headed back to her desk, trying to figure out what exactly she wanted to go over in the last bit of class that remained. She really wanted to go through the _Witches Witch_ book some more, as she had only been able to read it in fits and bursts since she had started the book but she did not want to explain anything if someone read over her shoulder or saw the occasional images. The ones where they were talking about some of the spells to allow sensitivity through… toys were fascinating and with her new Marauder training she had already figured out several other uses for such a spell, but oh the possibilities. She shivered a little pleasantly at the thought. Since she was nearing the end of the book it was starting to delve into the really fascinating subjects, at least to her mind, such as a few more interesting aspects about sex, relationship types including marriage and procreation, thus she was quite keen on finishing that book as soon as she could. Besides, Ginny was desperate to read it as well.

With a surreptitious glance about the room, she drew the book out of her bag, glad that the glamor on the title still held. Opening it to the section she wanted she began reading, finishing up the section on sex, with a discussion on the concepts of tantric sex and how they could be applied to two witches and their interesting effects on the magical core. That was absolutely fascinating and sounded like something that the two of them might enjoy playing with. This took her into a section about Relationships Growing More Serious. She knew how she felt about Ginny but again did not want to rock the boat. It wasn’t like they had been together all that long and dreaming about her for years really didn’t count in this process. While she had no intention of asking her anything of that nature until everyone who needed to had been informed of their relationship status it didn’t hurt to dream a bit. As wonderful as it had been, that incredible moment of having Ginny tell her how much she cared for her and was attracted to her while holding her in her bed, Hermione definitely wanted to make sure that any other step forward in their relationship should occur in a less horizontal position. It would also probably be best if it were not done in the bedroom as well. Though she had to admit the ‘I love you’s had come out in the most wonderful way possible and had just made her birthday the greatest day ever, even with the surprise party taken into consideration, asking someone to marry you should be even more special and magical. She sighed and closed her eyes, shaking her head slightly. Ginny was right, she was a bit of a sap at heart.

After getting through several pages of that section, which covered less serious means of proving you wanted to be together and shack up on up to actual engagement. The fact that the wizarding world did have some actual legal if rare provisions available for same sex marriage simply blew her away, however she had not gotten to the section which was supposed to cover the matter in more detail by the time the class had ended. That made her a bit frustrated but she had the book and it wasn’t like she wasn’t going to read it later. She began to gather her things and hefted her book bag to turn just in time to watch a Hufflepuff who had been a year behind her grab the doorknob. Since she had almost forgotten what she had done before coming into class, there was a very believable bit of surprise on her face when there was a soft pop and the boy eeped in surprise. When he turned his hair had poofed out like a mane, and his hands looked a bit more paw like. There was a touch of panic to his voice when he asked, “What is going on?”

This got several students to laugh at him until a girl from Ravenclaw, who probably figured that it was probably a simple one use prank grabbed the door and earned herself badger like markings on her hair and face, while her nails grew a bit longer and thicker. She screeched a bit in surprise.

The other students’ protests grew louder and more confused so Hermione pushed herself forward, knowing that it would be natural for either her or Professor Vector to take control in a situation like this and she was currently closer. “Here, let me take a look.”

She walked up to the door and cast a Finite at it, knowing that it would not affect the charm she had put on the door, to make it look like she had taken appropriate corrective action. “Hopefully that should take care of it.”

When she reached out to grab the door to pull it open, there was the expected pop and she could feel the change hit her. She knew that she would be taking on some eagle like characteristics and that was fine with her. It also helped knowing that the Charm would only last for about an hour and a half so she knew better than to panic, unlike the others who probably thought it might last as long as the other prank had. Professor Vector quickly came to the rear of the classroom from her desk, clearly growing more alarmed like the rest of the students. “Let me through.”

The professor quickly ran through a series of analysis spells and then opened the door with a spell, completely avoiding the doorknob altogether. The students filed out, some clearly worried about all doors now based off the looks that she noted. This was going better than she thought. Now she needed to push things just a little bit more. With a worried look she turned to her teacher and asked, “Professor, what do you think is going on?”

“The door handle seems to be charmed somehow to do this. I will do what I can to counter it; however I think Professor Flitwick will need to look at it for it to be truly taken care of. These particular type of countercharms are not my specialty,” ruefully admitted Professor Vector.

“Do you want me to look at it as well, to see if I can figure anything out?” asked Hermione, as this is something she would have offered if she hadn’t been the guilty party. She was aware from her reading of detective novels that the more she acted normal the less likely she would be caught.

“Could you? I know that you are skilled in a number of areas and might be able to help figure this out.” stated the Professor.

Hermione cast the detection spells, knowing that she had to play this just right, because if she did not give the right information and it was double checked then she would be caught out for sure. However if she did this in the right way then she would be able to provide herself with an even stronger safety net from suspicion. If she could completely remove any hint of suspicion from herself then she basically could act with impunity. That was her ultimate goal after all. “There is something here but I’m not sure if it’s a charm or a transfiguration spell. This sort of analysis hasn’t been covered in any of my classes so far and if going to be covered in Defense, it would probably be in the Spring. And anyway the reading seems a bit vague.”

Professor Vector smiled, seemingly a touch amused with what Hermione was saying, “And yet I was sure that you already knew at least some of the basics.”

Hermione blushed a little, at how much the teachers at Hogwarts believed in her. It felt strange to be betraying their trust like this but it was working towards a goal that she thought was worthy. If these pranks, with their emphasis on the intermingling of the Houses would get through to people then she could stop what she was doing and focus instead on snogging. While it was a lot of fun and an interesting challenge it did make her feel bad though in a way this could be seen as just an extension of her duty as Head Girl. Maybe. If you squinted a lot. “Thank you Professor. From what I’m seeing I’m not exactly sure how to remove this. I am sure Professor Flitwick would be able to do so but unless he told me how, I am at a bit of a loss.”

“The great Hermione Granger doesn’t know something?” gently teased her professor.

“Professor… you know I’m not like that.” whined Hermione honestly, glad that no other students were around to hear that. She did like Professor Vector and was close to her, nearly as close to her as she was to the Headmistress but that sort of teasing reminded her too much of her years in Primary School. Ron’s teasing her first year of her being a busybody know-it-all had really stung her. “There are plenty of things I don’t know yet.”

“The yet of course being the operative phrase. I am sure you will correct that weakness soon, knowing you. Run along. I’ll get Fillius to give this a look as soon as he can so hopefully we can get a better idea of what is going on and have no more transformations of this nature. Thank you for trying and I am sorry that you got affected by it.”

Hermione left the classroom and headed upstairs towards the library. Since there was a good degree of chaos going on with a number of students already affected by the bands she had applied, she managed to hit a few more classroom doors along the way, with classes that were dealing with double sessions and thus not aware of what was going on. Making sure she was affected by the prank was really going to help matters in shifting any possible blame from her. Since she had noted that a good portion of wizards and witches did not use formal logic when trying to solve a lot of problems they faced it should make her a less than likely target. She was aware that she was currently trying to outthink Headmistress McGonnagall and perhaps Professor Flitwick, both of whom did use logic, but she felt somewhat assured by the fact that they were also distracted by the other responsibilities of their posts. As long as Professor Cottington did not get dragged into this mess with her Auror training and actually start investigating the whole mess effectively she should be fine. At least she was hoping that was the case.

Once in the library she moved towards her favorite desk and had a seat in her usual spot. She did like how this particular table was isolated from the others and thus protected from view most of the time. In all her years of being here, with all the conflicts, the sanctity of the Library had never been violated. It gave her a strange feeling of safety when she sat in here and read or studied. That was something she really cherished. She laid out her books and writing supplies on the table top and then got a wicked idea. Her grin grew and grew as she thought of it. Noting that no one was paying any attention to her she quickly cast noise canceling charms around the space to keep noise from leaving the alcove when this all occurred, and all sorts of protections and notice me nots on the remaining walls including the floor and ceiling, knowing how sound could bounce and how people could wander up from a few different directions. Now all she had to do was lay in wait for her Vixen and her trap could be sprung.

While she was waiting for her happy fun games she began working on her homework, going through one of her potion assignments and making sure she had everything she needed for that essay. There were plenty of references available in her notes and she knew where a couple more were in the restricted section that would be quite useful to complete this essay to her usual standard. She went off to gather them and when she returned she noticed that Simon was sitting at the table looking rather subdued, his head down and almost as bad as he had when she first met him. She walked up, sat the books down on the table and laid a hand on his shoulder, “Are you okay Simon?”

When he looked up at her it was clear that he was upset about something. This worried her and made her heart lurch a little. Given everything that was going in the castle she was unsure what it could be that had Simon looking so torn up inside. If those Slytherin bastards had hurt her Simon she was going to smote their ruin upon the hillside for all to see in a way that would make all others think thrice about fucking with him. They would learn why people ran from her. She swallowed that down as she needed to solve this first, “What’s wrong?”

“I… I… Hermione I need to tell you something.” His voice was broken and hesitant making her heart drop even more.

With a quick gesture from her wand, Hermione cast a few privacy and silencing spells to ensure that they would not be disturbed or that Simon would be overheard in whatever he had to say to her. Everything she was getting from him was that this was important and needed to be just between the two of them. “What is it Simon? You know you can tell me anything.”

He took a deep but shaky breath and let it out slowly, clearly trying to summon his courage. She laid a hand on his shoulder and that seemed to help him settle down a little more. “I… I was talking to Headmistress McGonnagall about my life before… you know… when I was at home and she said that if I wanted to I should share it with you, since you were my friend and looked out for me.”

Hermione gulped silently. Was he finally going to tell her? Was he going to open up and tell her all about what had happened to him? Was she ready to deal with this? “You can tell me about it if you want. It’s your choice Simon. I’ll be happy with whatever you share with me because I am your friend.”

With an absent nod Simon clasped his hands in front of him, looking down at the table. He took a few breaths and then said really quietly, “My… my dad beat… me and if… I was bad he and my mom… wouldn’t let me eat… or sometimes sleep, making me do chores all night long as… punishment for being… different.”

Hermione held back her horror and revulsion, instead moving forward and taking him in her arms as his breath started to catch. “It’s okay Simon. It’s okay. I’ll do everything I can to make sure he won’t be able to do that to you ever again. You don’t have to tell me anymore if you don’t want to.”

Simon teared up a little as he nodded, leaning into her more for comfort, shaking a little. “I want you to know. The Headmistress said that you should know and after thinking about it I agree. You are my best friend Hermione, the only one I’ve ever had and I completely trust you with everything. This is just hard and really embarrassing. Uh… you see, if things happened that my Dad or Mom couldn’t explain easily then it was my fault because I was the oldest and I was always around when they did. Not at first but it became plainer over time. So when my accidental magic started really happening more and getting stronger as I got older it got worse, when praying didn’t work I started getting beatings at least once a week. After I got my Hogwarts letter, and they found out that I really was to blame for all of the strange things happening because of my magic, they really took it out on me. There were lots of nights where I went to bed without supper or even had days without eating. There were nights I couldn’t sleep because I had to clean things. My dad tried not to hurt me too bad but sometimes he did when he got really upset, but I never went to hospital over any of it. I was a bad kid and so he needed to punish me for disobeying him like that, for disobeying God. If I was a good kid, the Devil’s taint would not be in me. They were trying to save me but knew that they couldn’t keep me from the school because that would attract attention, instead they wanted to beat the magic out of me.”

Hermione pulled back so she could look him in the eye. This whole story was making her sick to her stomach. In some ways it was so much worse than what Harry had gone through. He had at least been treated fairly consistently by the Dursleys but to go from being loved to that… it really did turn her stomach and make her wonder how Simon was able to endure it. She wanted to breakdown and cry but she had to be there for her Simon. “You listen to me Simon Cresswell and you listen good. You are not even remotely a bad kid and you did not need to be punished for that. Accidental magic happens to everyone who is magical and it is nothing to be punished over. It is certainly not the Devil’s taint or any other sort of poppycock. Your parents are the ones who have done something wrong by hurting you and acting like bullies, instead of loving you and trying to make sense of this difference. You did nothing wrong. You were just born with an incredible gift. Believe me.”

Simon looked at her, eyes wide in surprise at how strong her tone was, how vehement she was, how insistent. He nodded in agreement, knowing that there was no arguing with Hermione when she was like this.

She hugged him again, tightly, resting her head against his hair. It was unbelievable that someone would do that to a child, any child but especially to one as sweet as Simon. He was a good kid and his parents had to have done something right for that to have happened. This made her so mad she could just apparate there, to that house and turn Simon’s father and mother into something, like perhaps a newt or maybe a slug. It would serve him right for being such a terrible excuse of a human being. “I don’t think any worse of you for knowing that about you Simon. You are still by far my favorite first year and my favorite boy in Gryffindor right now. So don’t think that you telling me this makes you a bad person in my eyes or that I think any less of you. You are a wonderful kid and this doesn’t change anything. You, Simon, are a great person and should never forget that.”

Simon hugged her tightly, desperately clinging to her, tears rolling down his face, “Thank you.”

“For what? I haven’t done anything all that special. Not really. My best friend, who is practically my brother, grew up in a home a lot like yours, only worse in some ways if you can believe it. They hurt him really bad, several times, made him do all the house work, locked him in his tiny room and rarely fed him. He was their slave and they made sure had had no friends. Do you remember my friend Harry from my birthday party? That’s him.” said Hermione with a soft smile as she pulled back a little, wiping the tears from his face.

Simon blinked in surprise. “Wait, but isn’t he Harry Potter, the hero of the wizarding world?”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean that the family that raised him wasn’t terrible. Where you come from only determines who you’ll be only if you let it,” said Hermione with a gentle smile. “His life and all of his losses didn’t really define him and there is no reason for your life and pain to define yours. You can make of your life anything you want. Do you want to talk to him?”

“Can I?” Simon looked really excited at that opportunity. “He seemed pretty cool.”

With a brief smirk Hermione said, “I think that can be arranged.”

He hugged her again. “Thank you Hermione.”

“No problem Simon. You know I’d do anything for you. Do you feel a little better?” she asked, rubbing a hand up and down his back.

“A little. I’m going to go spend a little time alone, relax, and then do my homework. Will I see you for dinner?” Simon asked.

“Absolutely. If you see Ginny could you send her this way?” asked Hermione with a smile.

Simon nodded and waved at her as he walked off smiling a bit, still a bit disturbed over the whole conversation but clearly better than he was when he got there to talk with her.

Once he left, Hermione took down the privacy spells that would keep people away from the one entrance point and started back up on her potions project, trying to get her mind off what she had heard. It hurt too much to think about, though it kept churning around in her mind. She had written about six inches when Ginny walked up, “Hey there Kitten.”

“Hey there Vixen. Come here, I need a hug.” Her voice was a bit shaky as she said that. All the emotions she had pressed down started coming to the fore, refusing to be held back any longer.

Ginny came over and enveloped Hermione in a warm, compassionate hug. The brown haired girl relaxed in the embrace and tried to let the trauma of what she had heard go. She shook a little as she struggled with it all, tears moving down her face. Ginny just stood there next to her chair and held her until she felt the grip loosen a little, then she held her softly giving Hermione a moment to settle herself. “Now what happened?”

“Simon… Simon told me what happened to him.” Hermione’s voice was soft as she said this, as if talking too loud would break her, since the emotional tide was so strong. The salt had burned her face a little when she had cried, and she wiped the tears away.

“Oh Kitten, are you okay? Is he okay?” Ginny crouched down so she could look up into Hermione’s face worriedly. The concern for both of them was written plainly on her features.

 Hermione gave her a wry smile, touched and slightly amused by the question, “How do you think I’m doing after hearing all that? Hold on.” She cast the final parts of the privacy spells she wanted to use in the first place when she had first reached the table and then looked back at Ginny. “It was terrible. Not Harry level bad but close, in some ways worse. Apparently from what I gather his parents are an interesting form of Christian and went a bit… off on him because of his accidental magic. He was blamed for all the ‘weird’ things happening in the house and punished for them. He spent a number of days without food as well as sleep because of it in an attempt to beat the magic out of him. How could they do that?”

Ginny reached up and brushed away a tear that was pooling in the corner of Hermione’s left eye. “You told me before that some muggles get really scared of things they don’t understand. Wizards are like that as well. This sounds a lot like that. Did they get a lot worse when his letter arrived and they found out he was a wizard?”

She just nodded, almost too caught up in her emotions to speak.

“Remind me to give him a big hug later. He’s a brave kid and this was a terrible thing that happened to him. No one deserves that.” Ginny stood and then leaned down to kiss Hermione gently on her forehead. Hermione closed her eyes and sighed in relief.

“Speaking of Simon… did you think about the fact that I had offered to take him in?” Hermione was worried when she asked that. Disappointing Ginny when she felt like this would hurt so much. She already felt a bit jangled emotionally and this wasn’t going to help but they hadn’t talked about it. She needed to know. It wasn’t a good time for it but when was?

“I did,” replied Ginny, with a sigh. “And I realized that if that’s what you want to do, then that’s what you want to do. It seems a bit crazy to me at this point in your life to be doing something like this, but if this is something you want to do than I have to support you.”

Hermione became aware that she was crying when Ginny wiped the tears away from her face. She was grinning at her girl, happiness filling her. “Really?”

“Of course Kitten. Why wouldn’t I? It’s your life.” Ginny seemed confused with Hermione’s disbelief.

Hermione hugged and kissed her, feeling the heaviness of her mood start to lift. The fact that her mood was lifting thanks to Ginny made her think about another issue that she had thought about. It had been something at the back of her mind that she had wanted to know. “Oh Ginny… when I sent my Patronus to get you, what did it look like? I vaguely remember a horse but I must be mistaken.”

“No, you aren’t mistaken. My horse ran up to me and then I heard your voice and it felt like you. It was so strange. But I was so worried about you when I saw that I bolted after my Patronus after it turned, which led me to you.” explained Ginny. “I was so afraid for you when I saw the open vial on the ground that I raced you up to Madam Pomfrey.”

Hermione smiled at her gently, “Thank you, love. You know you saved me by doing that, right? I just wish I knew what the Patronus thing meant.”

With a soft chuckle, Ginny said, “We can always ask Harry. He seems to know everything about those. It was certainly a surprise.”

“My hero…” Hermione said with a sigh and a soft smile. She reached up, cupped Ginny’s face and then kissed her.

The kiss started soft but grew in intensity as Hermione needed something pure and loving to wash away the taste of pain that Simon’s story had given her. She needed to feel hope, to feel joy, to feel love and she sought that desperately with her kiss. The kiss deepened as her need built and her earlier desire fed on it, roaring back into a frantic need once the sadness and pain was burned away. Ginny seemed surprised by the changing intensity of Hermione’s desire and pulled away slightly only to be pursued by her lover.

Now on her feet, Hermione moved Ginny against the desk, which was still covered with books, rolls of parchment, quills and bottles of no-spill ink. She bit and tugged on Ginny’s bottom lip, moaning as her own pleasure grew and the redhead stopped fighting against Hermione’s lust filled assault and joined in wholeheartedly. Hands got lost in hair, trailed down bodies, cupped breasts. With a tug, Hermione pulled Ginny’s head back and moved from her kiss to trail her tongue down Ginny’s neck. She sucked softly at several spots and Ginny mewled in pleasure, the sensation causing her eyes to roll up slightly. Hermione swept lower to let her tongue drift down into the small space of cleavage that the opening in the shirt left as her hands slid down Ginny’s backside, tightening into the muscular flesh.

With some exertion, she hefted the redhead onto the table, shoving some of the materials out of the way to do so, a few items falling to the floor without a single care in Hermione’s mind. Ginny’s eyes were growing dark with mounting passion as this was happening and Hermione’s need for her only grew. Her hands moved to Ginny’s breasts as she leaned in and felt Ginny’s own hands upon her.

When the redhead’s hands began to unbutton her blouse she reached in and grabbed Ginny’s wrists and pulled them from where they were between the two of them, succeeding because of the surprise of the action. Slowly she pushed her body weight forward and forced Ginny to lean backwards, swinging her arms behind to support herself. This jostled several more books off the table and onto the floor with a clatter. Hermione honestly didn’t care about the state of the books because the moment Ginny’s palms touched the wood she activated the spell she had memorized for just this very occasion.

Standing back upright Hermione grinned lustily at Ginny, who was just coming to realize that her hands were stuck to the table in the position that Hermione had helped place them in. She struggled briefly and then looked at Hermione with some concern, “Kitten what are you doing?”

“Shhh… be quiet or do I need to silence you?” Hermione said, the lust heavy in her voice.

Ginny’s eyes went wide when she heard that as well as the tone and her mouth fell open but no noise came out.

“Good Vixy. That’s a very good girl. Now… it’s been a day and I am going to need a little something to make me feel a bit better, so I decided that the Library was just the place for it.” The two of them could still hear the sounds of other students moving about in the rest of the room. Hushed conversations at the tables the next aisle over were clear and only served to make this feel more naughty. She reached out a hand, running it gently down Ginny’s face in a loving caress, her thumb going across the girl’s lips. “This area is protected so we can be as loud as we want, do whatever we want, and trust me… I most certainly will.”

The hungry, excited look Ginny gave her made Hermione feel a bit weak in the knees and only served to make her feel wetter if anything. Her hands moved to just below Ginny’s knees and she slid her arms up the outsides of Ginny’s legs slowly until she reached the top of her girlfriend’s panties. With a tug she began to pull them down, off her, prompting Ginny to awkwardly lever her butt up enough to make their removal a bit easier. Once they were pulled free, Hermione looked at the Gryffindor red panties with gold trim and their incredibly soaked crotch, smirking at them, “Really now Vixy? You have that much House pride?”

“Shut up! We can discuss my choice of underwear later.” Ginny’s face was flushed as she was panting slightly with her want for touch and she had a hard time looking Hermione in the eye. It was clear that the setting and the cool wood was doing something to her.

With a snicker, Hermione trailed a hand up the inside of one thigh, running her fingers through the girl’s pubic hair, tugging lightly, hand moving down, tracing the outer contours of her labia, causing Ginny to lean her head back and moan in incipient pleasure. She could feel the wet heat radiating from Ginny wherever she paused and cupped a hand over the girl’s mound, letting it sit there, taunting her with its stillness. After she did this for a bit, repeating the cycle until Ginny was rocking her hips forward in the quest for greater contact, moaning in desperate hunger, Hermione then paused at the apex of her tracing, turning a small circle a few times, and then slid straight down between the slick lips, the pad of her pointer finger brushing over Ginny’s clitoris as it dipped down and back up, carrying with it slick fluid. Her girlfriend gasped and bucked her hips forward as best she could.

Hermione moved forward, resting her palm on the tangle of Ginny’s mons while her finger kept working back and forth on that sensitive nub, her lips moving back onto the girl’s neck. Ginny struggled against the spell that held her hands flat against that the table to no avail and Hermione had to admit she enjoyed that feeling of power over the girl, the way Ginny twisted under her as she struggled. After the girl shuddered and cried out once and then twice, she slid her finger down further, added a second finger into that vast pool of wetness and entered her.

The kiss silenced the moan, consuming the sound, and drawing a kind of sustenance from the little whimpery sounds that the girl made as her fingers danced inside. Summers of typing and playing on the internet, years of wand work had made her fingers quite dexterous and strong, Hermione made great use of that now. Letting the girl’s lips free, she moved back and crouched down to relieve the pressure she had been placing on her wrist and to get a better view of the wanton state of her girlfriend, how red and wet everything was as her fingers worked in and out of Ginny. Once down on her knees she slid her free hand under her skirt, down into her own panties, feeling the virtual ocean she had there, barely contained by her own folds. Merlin her girl got her so hot.

Her fingers ached as Ginny began to clench tightly around them, making moving them back and forth within her difficult, but she was still able to press against that sensitive little hollow area just past the ridged area near the opening, the spot that made her girl gasp ever so much. Ginny tightened even more, almost bone crushingly so, hips bucking, and cried out, shaking the table with the force of her orgasm, toppling a few more books and one of the no spill ink bottles.

When the clenching relaxed to a mild flutter, Hermione slid her fingers free, hungry brown eyes locked onto her girlfriend’s dazed brown. When Ginny’s eyes were able to actually focus better on her, Hermione slowly licked her fingers clean, moaning in pleasure and then grinned at her, making Ginny groan as a slight shudder of pleasure ran through her, “Oh Merlin ‘mione, you’re killing me.”

“Really now? Is that so Ginevra? I guess we’ll just see about that.” With a wink, Hermione lowered her self between Ginny’s legs again, drawing out even more screams of pleasure from her with fingers and tongue while other students studied in the library around them without ever knowing a thing.


	30. Chapter 30

Thirty

She recognized the owl that flew up to her at breakfast and it made her raise an eyebrow as she had actually been expecting Cuspid to be bringing a note from her parents not Flash. Harry was writing her back? Wasn’t he in the middle of his Auror training right now? What was going on? Was there a problem or something going on that needed her involvement? Her mind was a whirl with possibilities as she stared at the owl.

Ginny nudged her, to break her out of her reverie. “Take the note ‘mione. Flash looks like he wants to do something else, like I don’t know… eat?”

“Oh… right.” Hermione blushed is slight embarrassment as she reached out and removed the note from the owl’s outstretched leg. Once that was done she then handed the bird a piece of bacon which it happily nibbled on before taking off and moving slightly down the table, to a spot that was clear of people.

“What does Harry have to say?” asked Ginny curiously, trying to look at the note that was still closed up.

“Can I read the letter first Ginevra?” huffed Hermione, somewhat frustrated by how her girlfriend was acting. Seriously, sometimes Ginny was worse than a toddler.

Ginny stuck her tongue out at her girlfriend who just rolled her eyes at that, her thoughts confirmed, as she opened the letter. Her eyes scanned over the writing and she pursed her lips. This was what she wanted, as it was a sort of advice, but it was not exactly helpful overall. Still he had tried to do as she had asked and that was something.

_Hermione,_

_I wish I had better news to pass on but I’m afraid Ron is still rather hung up on you. I talked to him about all of this like you asked and he keeps insisting that you just need time to relax and pull yourself together after everything that has happened before you will come back to him. He seems pretty fixated on the idea of you two getting together and married for some reason. You know how he is. I don’t know if this is just him being clueless, stubborn or what. I have noticed that he does start getting a bit shaky, louder, and more confrontational the more I push, getting angrier over the whole thing as well. You have to tell him about this, sooner rather than later otherwise it will get really ugly, but I am quite sure it will not be pretty in any case. Let me know when you are going to do it so I can be there to help you in case Ron does something stupid. You know how his temper can be and lately it seems a bit touchier than usual, especially with this particular topic. I wish I had better news to give you Hermione but that’s all I have. Give my love to Ginny and Luna._

_Love,_

_Harry_

Hermione reread the letter and looked at it thoughtfully. Ron was getting angry over the idea of her not being with him? He was touchier than usual, especially about the idea of her not being with him? Some of this sounded familiar. Why was all of this sounding so familiar? She ran it all through her head, everything that Harry had said on the subject and it wasn’t enough to go on. She needed to expand her parameters and include more information so that her suspicions had more to hang on.

“’mione?”

Could all of this have something to do with his somewhat off behavior over the whole summer? Sure he was a prat at times but he had been far more so than usual since the end of the war, and rather pushy about the two of them “being” together. This required more thought. She would need to sit down and go over all of his actions and try to make some sort of sense of them and try to put them together and figure out the pattern so she could see why they seemed familiar to her. It just kept bugging her, niggling at the back of her head.

“Kitten?”

Ron did have a temper, that was certainly true, but it wasn’t really all that bad when you knew about what did and did not set him off and he usually did not go off on Harry for no particular reason. He had gotten better towards the end of things as he had gotten past his issues over Harry’s wealth. What was it about her and challenging him about her that would make him all defensive at this moment, to the point that he would snap back at Harry over what she was sure were simple questions? Sure she knew that Ron had feelings for her, that had been obvious for a while and she had reciprocated those feelings for a bit until the Manor, but Ron was well aware that Harry didn’t have those kinds of feelings for her and was more like his brother than anything else. And she saw Harry as her brother and that was it, so looking at them as potential romantic partners, especially after the spat they had when he returned to them in the Forest of Dean. Besides Harry and Luna were really doing well if the smile Luna got with every letter from Harry was any indication and she knew Harry wasn’t hiding their relationship. She had to admit, they were a cute couple. The more she thought about it the more perfect for each other they seemed. So there had to be something deeper to this, something that she was missing in Ron’s actions that was causing this behavior of his.

A hand was waved in front of her face a few times and she started some, jerking backwards away from it. Ginny rested a hand on her arm and asked worriedly, “Are you okay Kitten? You really kind of spaced out there.”

“Sorry, Harry’s letter got me thinking. I’m just trying to figure out why Ron is acting the way he is right now.” She said, rather distracted as her train of thought kept dragging her along with it. Once her mind got stuck on a problem it tended to not let go until it was solved or something else took over.

“Good luck with that. Like Ron makes any sort of sense ever. My brother is all stomach and wild emotion that he can’t even control on the best of days.” commented Ginny with an eyeroll.

“That’s true.” said Hermione, having to concede that particular point. Ginny did have the greater knowledge about Ron after all. She handed over the letter and Ginny looked down at it. “It’s just that the more I think about it the more it’s clear that he really has been acting out of ordinary for a while now and it’s starting to make even Harry worried. I’ve been worried about Ron for a while but I had my own stuff to deal with and you to distract me. This just makes all that worry come back to the forefront.”

Luna looked up from her syrup and fruit laden waffles and furrowed her brow in thought before asking, “Could he be hurt the same way you and Harry are? You did say that the Horcrux did a number to him when he was wearing it, really messing with his anger and jealousy and after that, when he returned to you guys, he was a lot more clingy, more effected by the loss of anyone. Could that be why he has been so hurt by Fred’s death and has been trying so hard to hold on to you, to the point where he was telling people you were together?”

Simon looked up from his breakfast in interest as Ginny and Hermione both started, almost as if slapped. The two young women looked at each other with a look of dawning horror on each other’s faces as facts slid into place, fitting with a kind of unreal precision. “Oh Merlin… I just thought he was being a royal pain in the arse. Luna, that has to be it.”

Ginny shuddered and closed her eyes, as the idea of this seemed to settle in her. “Poor Ron. He never gets a break does he? I mean it’s hard enough to be the youngest boy in our family, what with the picking on him and everything, but to be dealing with this as well… I feel bad for him. Sure he’s a prat but no one deserves to be dealing with what you’re going through. He doesn’t even have anyone in his life like me or Luna who really cares for Harry in that way as well, which could also add to his fixation on you ‘mione. He probably sees you as his only hope. How are we going to get him to deal with this?”

The three girls looked at each other, their thoughts racing, searching for an answer to this particular issue. Simon kept eating, looking from girl to girl, wondering what exactly was going on as they hadn’t included him in this particular part of things. The silence stretched and he crunched a piece of toast with marmalade on it. The girls’ eyes widened at the same time and they all said, “Harry!”

The owl fluttered upwards, a bit shocked by the noise they all made and then settled back down as Luna reached out and soothed Flash, rubbing him on the back of his neck in a spot that he apparently never got enough rubbing in. The owl seemed to be enjoying the loving treatment he was receiving from Luna, turning his head to get more as Hermione quickly scribbled out a letter to Harry explaining what the three of them had realized and that she thought Ron needed to see Senior Healer Bainsly about the issue, or at the very least get some sort of an assessment made to see if this was actually the issue. Once she finished, she handed it over to Luna, who jotted down something else down quickly before rolling up the letter and attaching it to one of Flash’s legs. She kissed the owl on the top of his head and said, “Go back to Harry sweetie. See you soon.”

Simon looked up from his plate, the confusion was quite plain on his face and he asked Hermione worriedly, “You are hurt?”

Hermione sighed, they had been so caught up in this specific realization about Ron that they had forgotten that their favorite first year had been sitting with them through it all and had clearly heard everything they had said. This was not something she had wanted to get into with him but it wasn’t like she was going to lie to him about it either. This was just a topic that was difficult to talk about and she didn’t want him to feel bad for her. “Yes Simon, I am hurt. That’s why you have seen me occasionally take potions. I got hurt really bad a number of times during the war and it still affects me. You see, I’m still trying to get better because there are a few problems that have been hard to heal.”

“Is… is that why you have that scar on your arm that you don’t like to show anyone?” nervously asked Simon, knowing that it was a touchy subject for the girl.

“Yes Simon it is. This is one of the bad things that happened to me. A crazy woman hurt me really badly and did this to me in order to make me talk and tell her things we didn’t want her to know. She tortured me for a while but I made it through. She’s gone now but thanks to this scar I will never be able to forget her. I also have a few more scars as well, but for different reasons.” explained Hermione, trying to skirt the more raw and brutal aspects of war. She, Harry and Ron had gotten dragged into adulthood far too early thanks to this stuff. There were certainly details he didn’t need to know.

“And you think your friend is hurt like you are?” The worry in Simon’s voice was pretty strong and reminded her of Harry so much that it gave her a feeling of Déjà vu.

Hermione nodded. How was she going to explain this in a way that made sense to him but didn’t go into too much detail about her own problems? “Yes. Not in exactly the same way as I am with the scar on my arm and everything, but war doesn’t always scar you on the outside. Sometimes really terrible events can scar you just as bad if not worse on the inside. I got hurt on the outside and on the inside during the war, just like my friend Harry did, though for different reasons. Our issues were really obvious to both of us and we knew that we had to take action in order to get better. Now we think our friend Ron, Ginny’s brother, may have gotten hurt on the inside as well, only he can’t tell.”

Simon looked sad at that and said quietly, “So… so do you think he was hurt kind of like I was?”

The three girls winced at the raw tone in his voice that tugged at their hearts. This was the first time he had really commented on what had happened to him since he had talked to them about it. It was clear that this was still on his mind and he was feeling some sort of kinship with Ron because of his pain. Luna hugged him tight, since she was sitting right next to him and was on the correct side of the table to do that and he relaxed into it. He had gotten used to these signs of affection because the girls made them all the time. Hermione gave him an understanding smile, “We think that he was hurt more on the inside than the outside and that’s what the problem is. Being hurt on the outside feels real and is easy to acknowledge, if your arm is broken you can’t really say it’s all in your head. However, if you are hurt on the inside sometimes it’s hard to believe that the damage is even real and you sort of think it’s not real. That makes the problem worse in a way. You at least have some outside stuff to let you know the whole experience was real and is not you just being weak or whiney. Ron probably doesn’t believe this is real because it’s all going on inside of him. He might be making things worse by fighting against himself. We have to convince him that this is going on before he will even consider the help that he might need.”

He shook his head, as if he were following her, clearly not happy with what he was hearing, “I feel really sorry for him. That whole thing sounds terrible. I hope he gets better.”

Ginny smiled faintly, “So do I Simon, so do I.”

Once breakfast was over they all headed off to classes. The girls headed off to their History of Magic class, not overly pleased with having to listen to Binns droning on and on about yet another Goblin War, this one against Centaurs for some reason, as if there really was nothing else that had happened in the wizarding world of note except goblins attacking everything in sight. Hermione was waiting tor Binns to give a lecture of the Goblin war against a forest or something. Honestly, he was ridiculous. They endured it, taking their notes and struggling to stay awake against his somnolent voice and thankfully after a near eternity it was over. Even Hermione had to admit that Binns was the least engaging teacher ever, almost worse than Umbridge true be told, except he actually passed on information that had meaning and value. He was so bad he kind of made Moaning Myrtle come across as a motivational speaker. As they were heading out of the classroom Headmistress McGonagall walked up to the three of them and said, “Miss Granger, if you could accompany me. I require your assistance.”

Ginny and Luna looked at her quizzically and Hermione shrugged as she was unsure what was going on. She knew that she hadn’t been caught at anything and she hadn’t done anything that could be considered bad in days. She had even made sure to properly clean up the Library after her illicit liaison with Ginny, making sure to freshen the air and everything. Following behind the Headmistress, Hermione tried to figure out what exactly was going on. After discarding the possibility of trouble, since the Headmistress was not radiating sheer irritation like she did when she was upset with someone she tried to figure this out. There were a couple of things that came to mind quickly that it could be, either the celebration coming up in a week at Halloween or it could be the fact that two other students had been assaulted by the Slytherin bullies in separate attacks over the last week. Both were perfectly valid reasons for pulling her aside and talking to her.

They went up to her office and Hermione took a seat after the Headmistress sat down behind her desk. The portraits did not seem to be too concerned with this conversation. “I am sorry for taking you away from your classes but I wanted to get you early as Percy Weasley will be coming over in a short while to talk to you about some of last minute changes that have been made to the celebration.”

Hermione groaned in annoyance. She had already put up with too much of this nonsense from the most irritating of all the Weasleys. “More changes? This is ridiculous. If he tries to change the stupid bunting color one more time… I will not be held responsible for my actions Headmistress. Honestly, I swear the Ministry is trying to kill me.”

McGonagall chuckled, obviously amused with her response, “You have been dealing with all of this quite admirably Hermione. I have heard nothing but praise about you and the job you have been doing from Mr. Weasley. You are one of the best students Hogwarts has ever had in her long history and it shows in so many different ways.”

Hermione blushed under the praise. It was completely unexpected. “Thank you Headmistress.”

“I am sure you will be able to get this deal with this new change with the same skill and decorum as you do everything else. Just as I am sure that my pulling you from class will have no significant impact on your grades. Now there is another issue that I have been worried about and wished to speak with you on.” said the Headmistress.

“Is it the attacks on younger students by a group of Slytherins?” asked Hermione, taking a guess at the subject. It was the only other thing it could be.

“Yes. I am aware that you are working rather diligently on coming to some sort of resolution on this but it is something to be worried about. Despite the impressive work by the other students in that House, this particular group of Slytherins is keeping any attempts at true change from happening. They seem to represent the past and their actions are all people appear to see, with regards to their House. Are there any real clues as to their identity to go off of?” asked the Headmistress.

“Not yet. They have really worked hard to protect their identity so far, from the very beginning in fact, and have used a wide range of spells in their attacks to make it more difficult to narrow them down. That points to upper years being involved but so far only the fact that most of them remember male voices is the only clue we have. The most recent victim remembers hearing a female voice as well but she wasn’t exactly sure as she had her cloak wrapped around her head which did distort the sounds she heard some. Professor Slughorn has tried talking to his House as has Mister Boyle but it clearly had no effect except to make them more cautious and a touch meaner, as they using more advanced curses on the students. I have the Prefects fully briefed on all of this and we have been doing what we can to try and find them. There really isn’t anything more we can do at the moment until we catch them,” summarized Hermione, making sure that she had fully briefed the Headmistress on the whole situation. It was making her very frustrated and kept giving her headaches. The Map didn’t help because not knowing the names involved seeing events on the map would not be of much use.

“Do you have any ideas about what we can to in order to make that happen?” asked the Headmistress, her hands steepled in front of her.

“Yes, but it honestly is a terrible idea for a couple of reasons. They seem to be aware of where the older students are for the most part, which makes catching them tough but is where my plan comes in handy. What I’m thinking about is to borrow Harry’s invisibility cloak, use Simon as bait since he fits in their target profile and then trap them when they do something.” It was a terrible plan and was remarkably a plan that felt like something Harry and Ron would have come up with when they had been dealing with Malfoy and his goons back before the Tri-Wizard Tournament. She wished she had a better option however than a truly ridiculous Harry kind of plan.

The Headmistress frowned at her as she spoke. “You’re right. It is a terrible plan. Have you considered what would happen if something happened to Simon during all of this?”

Hermione sighed heavily, aware that she had to make her pitch now if it was going to have any chance for success which was going to be tough when she had only come up with this plan a short while ago and had barely any time to consider any other options or variations to it. “I have thought about that and even though the bullies have been escalating their attacks they haven’t really caused any students they have attacked any permanent damage, to anyone. They are also not attacking based on blood status but rather age and House affiliation, with Gryffindor having gotten hit more than any other. If Simon is properly prepared, and agrees to this, he should be fine, knowing that it would be a brief fight. I might also check with George to see if the charm that is on the Shield Hats they sell can be put on something less obvious to give Simon some more protection, though that might warn the bullies that something is up.”

McGonagall pursed her lips as if she were sucking on a lemon, clearly displeased with the whole notion. Hermione couldn’t really blame her. “If I had a better idea we would go with that, but the paintings haven’t been able to catch them and the House Elves haven’t been able to either. I am at a loss as to what they are doing as well. If we do this make sure to speak with Mr. Weasley about that charm to provide some protection before this happens. I am not happy with the fact that this is the best plan we can come up with.”

“I don’t like it either Headmistress but what other option do we have?” pointed out Hermione.

Before McGonagall could answer her, the fire flared green and Percy Weasley stepped through with a friendlier version of his political smile plastered on his face. He stepped forward with his hand extended in greeting. “Ah, Headmistress McGonagall, Miss Granger, how nice it is to see you both again. I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

“Not at all Mr. Weasley, we were just finishing up. It is good to see you again as well. Don’t let me hold you up on any account. Feel free to use one of the empty classrooms downstairs for your discussion. We will speak again Miss Granger.” The Headmistress smiled at Percy and her, indicating that they should leave.

“Certainly Headmistress.” The two of them headed downstairs, found a nearby classroom that was empty and got to work. After an hour of drudgery discussing seating plans, order of events, decorations yet again, and the like, Percy left the school quite pleased with the outcome of their discussion and Hermione was just fried from it all. She gathered her notes and made her way downstairs to the Great Hall. She knew she was going to be there early for lunch but she really didn’t care. What was someone going to do, give her detention? Take points? If she had gone to class at this point she would only have had to turn around and come back here anyway within minutes so why even bother with it.

A few moments after she sat down at the Gryffindor table and rested her head on there a cup of tea appeared next to her. Smelling it’s fragrant herbal aroma, she sat up and smiled, speaking aloud, hoping this could be passed to the kind and brilliant elf who had thought of doing this for her. “Thank you.”

She prepared it the way she liked it and sipped the perfectly hot liquid, letting the warmth of it soothe her. Working on the planning for that celebration was making her a bit crazy and that wasn’t even taking into consideration what the actual day would be like for her. She rubbed her forehead as she could feel a headache beginning behind her left eye. The whole mess was rather stressful and she really didn’t need any more of that given everything that was going on. Honestly she was barely hanging on as it was. Furrowing her brows, she pondered if she needed to have one of her calming draughts, to help deal with the stress she felt during the meeting or maybe just a low strength cheering charm. Maybe she should go and ask Madam Pomfrey for some assistance after lunch if she still felt a little off like she did now. The better she took care of herself the sooner she would be healed overall; at least that’s what she was told and she desperately hoped it was true.

Rubbing the bridge of her nose, pinching it with two fingers, she just sighed and rolled her shoulders, trying to loosen the muscles in her back which felt almost like a solid mass. Things were a lot more tense in her body then they needed to be. With the plan to get the bullies and everything else that she was dealing with in her life was it any wonder that she was pretty much continually stressed? That reminded her; she needed to send a letter to Harry to ask specifically about the cloak and get his ideas on the plan. Maybe she could write it up and send Perdita off with it tomorrow. Then there was also asking him to talk to Simon about things, to see if that helped… well in all honesty, both of them, since she knew that Harry still had some issues with his childhood. Maybe she should send a letter to her parents as well? It had been a while since she had seen them and Cuspid hadn’t arrived even though the owl was supposed to. That reminded her that she needed to remind her parents that they needed to go to the Leaky Cauldron in order to meet the Weasley’s so that they could escort them into the castle so they could make it to the Ceremony. If they didn’t, they would miss out on the whole thing and she didn’t want that to happen. She knew that she was getting a something, some sort of award along with Harry and Ron, just not specifically what and really wanted her parents to be there to see that. They had missed so much of her magical life, much of the latter half of her childhood and in a lot of ways that was completely unfair. This was one of the events she absolutely didn’t want them to miss. Headmistress McGonagall was fine with everything and had assisted with the arrangements so there shouldn’t be an issue.

She started working on her neck, feeling the tight bands of muscles there and attempted to do something about them. Had they always been that tight? Weren’t they supposed to be fairly supple at her age? It hurt when she moved her neck too much. When did she get to be so old? She was leaning more and more towards heading to Madam Pomfrey’s, possibly even before lunch as there were a number of things that were bothering her and this just added to her worries.

Students began trickling into the Great Hall for lunch, the noise in the room growing a good deal as they did so. She lifted her head wearily and plates and place settings filled the table, one appearing right where her head had been. Luna was the first of their little group to show up, sitting down in her usual spot across from her. She was wearing her glasses with the different colored lenses and had a happy smile on her face as she greeted her brightly, “Afternoon Hermione. How are… oh dear, you seem to have an infestation of wrackspurts.”

Recalling from her other conversations with the blond witch that wrackspurts seemed to be mentioned whenever someone was being plagued by thoughts and their thinking got all muddled or confused. That was a fair assessment of her current state so she nodded in agreement. Perhaps there was something to these creatures that Luna kept mentioning? “I think I might be. I know I seem to be thinking in circles and getting nowhere, my thoughts just stuck. Do you have any idea how I can deal with them?”

“Well if we had a siphon that would be best method we could use, so we could draw them out of you without infecting anyone else with them. That’s the biggest danger with using some of the other methods you know. Without that, we need something that will drive them safely away from you, something that will make them no longer interested with infesting your brain, something that will rather shock your thinking.” stated Luna quite seriously, turning her head slightly to the side as she considered the problem and the girl across from her.

Hermione nodded, trying to figure out the truth from the weird when she heard a voice from behind her say, “Will this work?”

Ginny dipped her backwards and kissed her soundly for a good thirty seconds, hands working in her hair, tongue finding its way in her mouth. She then sat the rather stunned Hermione upright and sat next to her calmly, as if nothing had happened, sweeping her skirt under her as if nothing had happened. Hermione just blinked a few times, trying to reboot her brain after that, her cheeks flushed. That had been wonderful and really got her going and she so wanted more. Luna cocked her head the other way and looked closely at the bushy haired girl. “Yes, that seems to have worked quite nicely. You only seem to have a few yourself Ginny so well done. I think the intensity of that kiss really drove them off.”

Hermione grinned happily and sighed, turning her bright smile towards her girlfriend. Her life was so wonderful.

Ginny nudged her with her shoulder, snapping her from her lust filled reverie and asked, “What did McGonagall want?”

“Hunh? Oh, uh… right, Percy came by to talk more celebration stuff. It was nearly as bad as dealing with Binns only without the actually learning anything. Your brother is better and more personable than he used to be but he is still rather pompous. I just want this dumb thing to happen so it’s over and done with so I don’t have to deal with it anymore.” grumbled Hermione, her mind going back to the previous stress.

Ginny stroked her hair, trying to soothe her. “It’s okay baby. You only have another week to go and then you don’t have to put up with him anymore. He makes everyone crazy so this isn’t really a surprise. You’ve done a great job and it is sure to be amazing.”

Hermione nodded hoping that Ginny was actually right. “I know. But I have to admit he is organized.”

Ginny snerked at that. “Of course you would like that about him. You are one of the most organized people I know but at least you aren’t as crazy about it as he is. Did you know he has lists of lists?”

“I’ve relaxed about it.” huffed Hermione as the others laughed.

“You have and have even more since the start of the year.” commented Luna calmly. “It is rare thing to see such a wrackspurt infestation in you anymore. It used to be much more common. Your head is usually much more clear. I am happy for you. Percy however seems to be some sort of nesting ground for them. It makes me sad.”

Simon looked over at Luna and asked worriedly, “What year is Professor Hagrid going to teach us about wrackspurts? They sound dangerous.”

“They are. They muddle your thinking and make you fuzzy headed which can lead you to do all sorts of silly things. However Professor Hagrid doesn’t teach about them or Nargles or any of a number of other esoteric creatures that are out there. He does an excellent job teaching you about the more well-known creatures but there is so much more out there.” said Luna with a patient smile. “That’s why I am going to become a Naturalist, so I can better catalog these creatures that most people aren’t aware of. The world is incredibly diverse and beautiful; it would be a shame if people neglected that because they thought they knew it all. Too many people close their minds to how wonderful things are and I want to fix that.”

Hermione grinned at her. While it had taken her a while and a lot of patience she better understood the blond. Those hours talking at Shell Cottage had really helped her make sense of the girl. “I think you would be brilliant at that Luna. I know I am generally stuck on needing rather definitive proof before I believe anything but I really am trying to get better about that. I think I am actually starting to come around on the wrackspurts. There seems to be something to that. Not sure about Nargles yet, but I will certainly be much more careful around mistletoe regardless. I would hate to lose things because of my failing to take precautions.”

Luna beamed at her, one of the brightest smiles that Hermione had ever seen from the younger girl and it made her feel warm in her own heart. This was one of the things about Luna that could not be denied, how she showed what she felt. “Thank you Hermione. That means a lot coming from you.”

“I guess the way to look at it would be is if you can convince Hermione that these  creatures exist then there is nobody in the magical world who would doubt you.” commented Ginny with a wink and a grin.

The girls started laughing at that and Simon still looked a bit unsure of things. He turned to Luna and asked, “So does that mean that Wrackspurts aren’t real?”

“Oh Simon, of course they’re real, it’s just that most others don’t believe me when I say they exist. You know that doesn’t mean they don’t, you said as much earlier. Same with Nargles, the Crumple Horned Snorkack or the Blibbering Humdinger. They are very rare creatures that are very difficult to see, because they are very small or their camouflage or their invisibility, which makes people think they don’t exist.” said Luna with a light hearted laugh.

Simon looked a touch confused at that and Hermione took pity on him. “Don’t worry about it right now Simon. Just focus on your own studies and we’ll teach you about all this other stuff later.”

He nodded and went back to his drumstick, gnawing the meat from the bone. The girls got to eating their own meals, chatting about a lot of nothing and after a while finished their lunch. Hermione was still feeling a bit tense and out of sorts by the time they finished and that worried her. She figured that she might as well do the responsible thing and head off, because she did want to get better. “Gin, I’m heading off to the Medical Wing.”

“Are you okay?” Ginny was a lot more alert and was looking at her closely.

“I’m fine. I’m just a bit too tense right now and I think that the calming draughts haven’t been able to really help too much lately. I’ve been going through them a lot and they seem to have less effect. I was going to see what Madam Pomfrey could do to help. I don’t want to have another breakdown or mishap. They really aren’t a lot of fun.” admitted Hermione.

Ginny nodded. “Okay, as long as you are fine. You know I worry about you sometimes.”

“I know you do Gin and I wish I wasn’t such a bother sometimes. But I am trying to take care of myself.” admitted Hermione.

“That you are and I far prefer you getting to the Hospital Wing under your own power than needing to be rescued. Okay, I’ll see you later Kitten.” Ginny hugged her, kissing her on the cheek before heading off towards her next class.

Hermione walked through the halls towards the Hospital wing, just breathing, doing the deep slow breathing that helped relax her. Taking care of herself like this was a bit more new to how she behaved. She was so used to giving her all to ensure Harry was okay that this was an interesting change. She tried to relax her focus, so her tension could flow out of her as she walked but before that could happen she heard the sounds of a spell being called out from up ahead.

Breaking into a run, she neared the spot, hearing a few male voices calling out spells, even a few female voices doing the same. There was some derisive laughter and jeers but no voices were clear enough to identify. Then as she was almost there she heard a voice callout, “Scatter!”

She came barreling around a corner and saw several Slytherin cloaks fleeing the scene. She cast a few stunners after them, moving to try and get a better angle on them, hustling after them but they vanished into several different halls without her scoring a single hit on them. Hermione grumbled to herself as she went back to the site of the attack, frustrated at failing to score a single hit of the bullies, despite the fact that she had been casting while at a full run, rubbing her left arm as she walked. When she got there she saw the two second year Ravenclaws who had been the victims of this attack and it made her angry and upset at the same time.

One of them, a boy, had a bloody nose, a black eyes and a split lip from smacking his face into the floor several times thanks to the jelly leg curse and the other boy looked dazed and their eyes were unfocused and she wasn’t exactly sure why. After the appropriate counter curses for the spells that had been cast against them that she could recognize she took her time to ensure that the two of them got to Madam Pomfrey safely, practically supporting both of them. Madam Pomfrey came out from her office when she entered and looked rather shocked when she saw the damage, and Hermione frowned as she said what she could.

As the Nurse was treating the two second years, she was off to the side trying to calm herself down so she could send her Patronus to get Professor Flitwick and the Headmistress down there. That had gotten her really worked up and her heart was racing and she sort of felt like she was going to throw up. Things were clearly getting far more serious with these attacks. This was the first time that the group had drawn blood even if it might have been inadvertently, but it was a significant amount of blood. That and both students were quite injured, needing actual care from the Nurse.

Patronus sent and the two students resting in beds Hermione went over to the Nurse for her own reasons. “You know, this was not even what I had intended to come here for.”

“Oh?” Madam Pomfrey raised an eyebrow, somewhat concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“My stress levels are very high and the calming draughts do not seem to be doing enough to help me relax any more. I know that if I take it more often bad things might happen and I don’t want a repeat visit like the last time I was here so I wanted to check in with you to see if you had any ideas.” said Hermione, a bit embarrassed about the whole issue, especially after bringing in two actually injured students. She felt like her issue paled in comparison. The short flurry of combat also had her a touch flustered which was making it difficult to get her thoughts straight.

“Well, a cheering charm would only mask things and not deal with the underlying cause of the stress. Do you think it could be due to everything you are doing?” asked Madam Pomfrey. “Everyone knows how busy you are.”

“I think so, that and my worry for Harry and Simon, the issue with Ron and also Ginny and our coming out to the Weasleys. Then there is the celebration coming up, all of my Head Girl stuff, these attacks which are clearly getting worse. And there are probably other things I’m not realizing right now that are also jumbled up in that. I have been taking my potions as I’m supposed to and doing the exercises that the Senior Healer has given me but none of it seems to really be stemming the tide of this growing stress. It just seems to keep building as I don’t have an actual respite. I have headaches all the time and my neck and back are so tight that it is distracting me in and out of class. Do you have any ideas?” asked Hermione, clearly sounding like she needed the assistance, a slight note of desperation in her voice. This was hard for her to do but she really was trying to do the right thing here because she knew that Ginny would be upset with her for not taking care of herself. Being a good girlfriend meant making sure she was in good health or at least the best she can manage.

Madam Pomfrey looked thoughtful at her words, raised a finger in a gesture for her to wait, and then scurried off into her office for a moment. After a few minutes away she came back out with a smile on her face. “Hermione, you have been working very hard, perhaps a little too hard. I know that is just how you are but with what you are dealing with that might be counterproductive at this time. So I have just talked to Senior Healer Bainsley and we have agreed on a short term course of treatment for you.”

Hermione looked askance at the slight mischievous grin that the Nurse was wearing. She had seen it a few times when she had been treating Harry, just before she did something particularly unpleasant to him that helped but that he didn’t enjoy. It was a look that fit more on one of the Twins faces rather that Madam Pomfrey. “Am I going to regret this?”

“Not at all. It should be just fine. Could you send your Patronus off to your Head of House please asking for her to come down here? I believe that she and the Headmistress need to be involved in this particular conversation. Just wait there until they get here.” Madam Pomfrey then headed over to check back in on the two Ravenclaw students, leaving Hermione standing there next to a chair looking unusually confused. This was not a state she was used to being in. What exactly was going on?

The Headmistress and the diminutive Charms Professor came in through the door to the hospital ward at that time and headed towards her. All Hermione could do was stand there, looking between Madam Pomfrey and the Professors, blinking a few times and she finally said, “Hunh?”


	31. Chapter 31

Thirty-One

Ginny lay there comfortably on the deck chair by the indoor pool, sipping her fruity drink through a straw, “Seriously Hermione, I honestly cannot believe that this is what your treatment is for excessive stress.”

Hermione grinned over at her girlfriend from her own deck chair that she was lounging on and chuckled, “I know. But between Madam Pomfrey and the Senior Healer insisting that this needed to happen, did you think anyone would be able to say no to them? I mean, Harry never could argue with her and he argued with everybody, even Dumbledore.”

“I know what you mean but having to endure four days of this? Really? And on the school’s knut even because this is your medical treatment prescribed by the School Nurse. That is what takes the cake. And McGonnagall signed off on this just fine? I know what you’re going through is horrible and complex and causes you lots of problems but Kitten I have to admit that this is one hell of a lovely treatment.” Ginny raised her glass in toast to her girlfriend.

Hermione did as well, acknowledging her girlfriend before taking a sip of the very refreshing beverage then laying back and closing her eyes to rest some. When Madam Pomfrey told her in no uncertain terms that she was going to be taking a long weekend at a spa with Ginny and her parents she could scarce believe her ears. It was ludicrous as that sort of thing never happened. She had to have been hallucinating as it just didn’t seem right. How could they actually allow this for a couple of students? However it wasn’t like she was going to argue with them when they told her to go. She wasn’t an idiot after all and the idea of four days at an exclusive magical health spa sounded amazing. Honestly, if they wanted her to be pampered and relaxed into submission as part of her recovery plan than she was just going to lie there and accept it. This was the kind of medical torture she could endure. She had been told to finish classes for the day, gather up some things, collect Ginny and meet up at the Headmistress’ office as soon as they could. There had not been any hesitation at all once she was aware that the whole thing was for real and not some strange joke. True she had taken the time to pass on the new list of tasks for the ceremony to the House Elves as that planning had to be done but that was it. She had not stopped grinning the whole time.

The two of them had flooed over to the Leaky Cauldron after saying their goodbyes and getting briefed on the basics by Madam Pomfrey, disapparated from there to her parent’s house, who had been informed of their arrival somehow and then they took a taxi from there to the address of the spa which looked like an overgrown fenced in garden plot with tangled hedges. After dinner that evening which had been lovely they had all sat around and talked for a while before crashing, as Hermione had been given a modified potion regime for the four days to aid in her relaxation and she had gotten her schedule of treatment prepared by the Healers there. The potions made her a bit drowsier than her others did but they certainly worked to help her relax. She sort of felt a little like fuzzy headed jello and she was okay with that as weeks of muscle tension were beginning to fade.

“Are you girls doing okay?” asked Hermione’s mother, as she walked up in her suit, carrying her own fruity drink, smiling down at the girls.

“Yes mum.” Hermione relaxed and laid there, eyes half open, in a restful daze. She really didn’t want to move too much right now as she just felt good and she was in a lovely place with the girl she loved and her parents. Life was great.

“When is your massage?” inquired her mother, helping to manage the care as had been agreed upon. It was one of the primary reasons that she and her husband were here despite being muggles.

“About an hour from now. And then lunch.” commented Hermione, her voice a bit sleepy but happy after she glanced at the clock of the wall to ensure that patients knew when their treatments were.

“Oh, such a terrible life.” teased Ginny, not even turning her head.

“Prat.” It lacked the heat that it usually had. Hermione couldn’t help but smile after saying that. She really did love that girl.

Her mother snickered at their antics, having been able to see a good bit more of their interplay since they had gotten here. “You two…”

“What?” Hermione’s response was a little louder than she had intended but it wasn’t too bad. It wasn’t like there were that many people here at the spa to be disturbed by them. She had her eyes open and was gazing at her mother questioningly.

“You’re cute is all. You two are an adorable couple and have only gotten more so since you have been together longer. Even your father said so. It’s there in the things you say and the ways you interact. You two really fit well together.” She said with a smile.

Ginny laughed brightly as Hermione blushed a very warm red. Her mother smirked at the sight and said, “However young lady, you need to take care of yourself more thoroughly. The reason that this is happening is not because you have been good and need a reward but rather because you have been bad and needed something a bit more extreme to get better. This is actually medical treatment after all. This does get prescribed in our world as well in some cases.”

“I know mum, but I don’t know what to do to make things easier on me. I am so busy up at school doing all these different things that I have no idea what to do for stress relief anymore. I am doing what I was told by Senior Healer Bainsley but it doesn’t seem to be enough anymore. I just want to get better.” Hermione was a bit upset over this and it was burning through the fuzzy headedness that the potions had her in.

Ginny looked to make sure there was no one close enough to them to overhear her comments before she leaned in and said, “Well, there is always going flying with me. It is a physical activity and it gets you outside, two things that you are supposed to do. If we store your broom out at the Pitch with mine then we have to walk down there to get it and then walk back up to the castle which is even more exercise and time outside. The only other easy exercise I can think of off the top of my head is walking around the lake or the castle and I’m not sure you want to do either of those.”

Hermione looked thoughtful as she pondered that. She had gone flying a couple more times with Ginny when the weather had been nice and had even tried out the Comet that Ginny had borrowed from Madam Hooch. That experience had told her quite definitively which broom she preferred and surprisingly enough she was also getting more comfortable with flying, even though the heights were still a touch problematic. Doing it more often would only increase that comfort and a good stable broom would only help with that. Ginny had been right when she had figured out what her real objections to flight had been. The people who only saw her as a jock missed so much. “That might actually be a workable idea. We can talk with Madam Pomfrey when I get back to find out how often I should be doing that. We will more than likely have to come up with something else as well but that might be a good idea. You know, I think it just might be time to go pick up that birthday present that has been waiting around for me.”

Ginny looked really happy and excited at that. “Really? You’re actually going to do it? Actually going to buy a broom of your very own?”

“What? I enjoyed flying with you as long as we didn’t go too fast or turn too sharply. That really scared me. Then there is the fact that a lot of those brooms don’t feel very stable to me. And the picnic was lovely. And you are right, the view of the castle is really nice from the air and should not be missed.” admitted Hermione.

“Told you.” Ginny gave her a cheeky grin. “You need to trust me on things more often. I actually know things after all.”

With a grin her mother sat back into her deck chair, happy to be hearing about what was going on at school. Since they didn’t need to keep any secrets any more about the crazy goings on she was actually well informed as to everything they were dealing with in their lives. “So what about you telling Ron or Ginny’s parents, any luck with that so far?”

The girls looked at each other and then shrugged. Ginny said, “We still have no idea what to say to my brother about us as we kind of came to a realization about him that sort of reframed everything we thought about him but we have an idea, or at least the beginnings of an idea. As for what we’re going to say to my parents about us, I don’t know. I’m really worried about that in all honesty.”

“Ginny, your parents love you, that was rather obvious when we met them, and if you’re honest with yourself you can admit that they aren’t as blind as you think they are. From listening to your stories, after having the Twins as their children I am sure they are able to pay attention to subtle changes in things and figure out what they mean. Parents do notice things about their children after all but generally give them the room to say things themselves. Sure you might not have been as obvious about things as Hermione here and her extreme lust for Danish…” said Mrs. Granger.

“Mum!” Hermione was horrified that her mother was bringing that event up again and this time in a public place. What was she doing? Was she trying to embarrass her daughter to death? Ginny only laughed.

“…but surely they have been paying attention to you and Harry over this summer and fall and the lack of relationship there as well as the development of things between you and Hermione. Do you really believe that this will come as a complete surprise to the both of them?” Mrs. Granger completed, not even remotely worried about her daughter’s blush as she was used to causing them by now.

Ginny looked utterly gobsmacked. Clearly this whole idea shook her entire notion of how the world worked and it was clear that she wasn’t sure how to process any of it at all. Hermione reached over and took her girlfriend’s hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. Ginny squeezed back in reflex, which served to pull her out of the near fugue state she was slowly slipping into thanks to her shock. Her voice was really small and shaken when she nervously asked, “Do you really think that they might know about us?”

Mrs. Granger sat up from her deck chair and turned, leaning forward, somewhat across her daughter. She reached out a hand to Ginny and waited until the redhead took her hand. When she did she gave it a reassuring squeeze before she said, “If they are both as bright as you and as we have found them to be, then surely they could put the pieces together by how you have been acting around Hermione. You two don’t exactly act like friends and you haven’t for a while now, even before you both realized it. Right?”

Ginny swallowed heavily and nodded, looking down nervously.

Hermione groaned. This was entirely what she did not need. Wasn’t her mother aware of what her prescription had been for this weekend? What sort of physician was she to be going against a Healer’s orders? She was here to relax. “Mother, we are supposed to be here relaxing not getting me even more stressed out over things that we cannot do anything about at the moment.”

“Sorry sweetie. I was just trying to help you know. I care about the both of you and want you both to be happy. After all you have done for this country you completely deserve any sort of happiness that you can get and no one should begrudge you that. It is obvious that this situation as it stands does not make you happy so I want to do what I can to help you fix it. Just remember when you do finally tell them about you two, have them come talk to your father and me about everything. That should help them feel better about everything as we can share our experiences and maybe get them to relax if they are freaking out. We can talk about a number of things and it’s not like we don’t want to get to know them better.” Hermione’s mother grinned and sat back in the lounge chair again, shifting a little to settle herself in comfortably. “Now I think a bit more relaxing is in order before you have your massage Hermione, don’t you?”

Rolling her eyes at her mother’s antics, Hermione sat back and relaxed into the chair enjoying the warm humidity of the pool room. She had swum a few laps and had played with Ginny some, splashing around, pushing off the wall and gliding underwater like an otter and that had been enjoyable. The potions she was on however made that level of exertion rather draining and so lying here was a nice thing. Thinking about what her mother said to Ginny, that actually was a bit of a relief, knowing that her parents were willing to talk to the Weasleys about all of this after the girls told them about their relationship. It was one thing to know that the wizarding world was mostly okay with same sex relationships on the whole and it was an entirely different thing to feel it when facing off against Molly “When are you having Grandkids” Weasley and her determination to match up her kids with whosoever she determined was their perfect match. She wasn’t sure if she was actually ready for that conversation regardless of how happy she was with Ginny. She wasn’t sure if she was ever going to be ready for that conversation despite knowing that it couldn’t be avoided. You couldn’t really avoid telling your girlfriend’s mother about your relationship, especially if you had thoughts about making it more serious. There was little wonder that Molly had been strong enough to go after Bellatrix the way that she had and kill her. That woman could bloody well scare a Dementor if she had a half a mind to.

She came awake a bit surprised when Ginny shook her lightly on the shoulder, “Come on Kitten, it’s time for you to wake up. Time for you to go get rubbed just so you can fall right back asleep again.”

Hermione smiled happily up at Ginny, looking at her with half lidded sleepy eyes and she reached up, pulling Ginny down into a kiss. As she let her go she moaned out happily, “Mmmmm Vixy.”

“Oh god, I’ll pretend that I didn’t hear any of that.” complained Mr. Granger off to the side, in mock horror.

“Dad!” “Mr. Granger!” snapped the two girls.

Mrs. Granger started laughing as the two girls blushed an extreme red that almost indicated that there was probably no blood left on the inside of their bodies as it had all rushed to their skin.

“What? I am very well aware that it is my ancient and noble right to torment my daughter and her love interest as I will, whoever it may be. It says so in the father rule book, page 63, paragraph 2. So there.” He grinned rather happily at the two of them, clearly pleased with himself.

Ginny groaned, lowering her head despondently, “Oh Merlin, did you actually inherit that from him? Is that where you got it?”

“Ginny! Honestly! I’m not that bad, am I?” asked Hermione, now worried that she might have actually inherited her father’s sense of humor.

“Not really but there are times you can get a bit over focused on some things and it does affect the quality of your jokes. Sometimes they can just rub people the wrong way.” explained Ginny, wanting to make sure that Hermione know that things were okay.

“Speaking of that I believe I’m supposed to go have a massage right about now?” smirked Hermione, happy to be able tweak Ginny over that.

Ginny stuck her tongue out at her and Hermione did the same right back, to the happy laughter of her parents.

HGHGHGHGHG

“Are you sure you really want to do this?” asked Ginny yet again, clearly wanting to make sure that Hermione was positive about her choice.

“Yes. I have thought about it and I agree that it would be easier to go through with that particular form of exercise if I had a broom of my very own. That way I won’t have to borrow one all the time from Madam Hooch. I liked the Bluebottle that you showed me. It was nice, comfortable and didn’t make me think I was going to fall off every second. If they happen to have a newer model, one designed more for touring and less for basic family use that would be even better but we can only hope.” said Hermione, a bit nervously. She was so anxious about this as it was so new and something that she didn’t know everything about. She was actually going to do this, actually get a broom of her own even though she needed to rely on Ginny’s knowledge. She had had the gift certificate for over a month now and had been a bit too terrified to even start to think about getting one and yet now here she was, standing before the store, ready to walk inside.

Her mother rested a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it slightly, to help boost her daughter’s courage. “Well, I guess we just need to go inside and find out what they have. You can’t buy your broom from out here.”

With a nod, the group of three tromped into the store and Ginny happily looked at everything, with what seemed like stars in her eyes. There was no doubt that she knew everything about what they were looking at. As Hermione and her mother browsed through the brooms with very little understanding of what exactly they were looking at, a salesperson came up to them, “Can I help you?”

“Yes. I had a friend buy me a broom from here and said I could come in and pick up any one I wanted.” explained Hermione, pulling free the gift certificate thing that she had been given. “So I’m looking around to find something.”

“Very well… I am sure we will be able to take care of whatever you need. Now what exactly are you looking for? A Firebolt perhaps or maybe one of the new Nimbus’s?” The salesman seemed a bit more upbeat as he heard that the sale was already made.

“Uhm… no. That won’t be necessary. I actually have a broom in mind. I was thinking instead of getting a Bluebottle, but I would rather get one that isn’t purely a family broom. Something that’s got the same features as the Bluebottle but I guess is closer to the Comet 290 in other ways. Do you have anything like that?” asked Hermione curiously. She knew that Ginny really did want her to have a higher performance broom and maybe this would reveal a broom that neither of them had thought of.

“Well, there is a new Bluebottle that has recently come out, a slightly modified version of the original that is more geared for touring and traveling but can double up as a family traveling broom in a pinch, which might be along the lines of what you are looking for.”

Ginny walked up and stood next to Hermione, listening to the salesman and his pitch. “That sounds interesting. Can I get some of the specifics on the model?”

Hermione sort of glazed out as the salesman began to rattle out a set of numbers that she really had no real reference to. Some of this was a good bit beyond her as it seemed to be acceleration factors, turn radius at speed, something about handling ratio, another thing about the control runes. Ginny was clearly following what was being said but she had almost no idea what she was listening to. Leave it to the Quidditch player to know everything about brooms. Hermione did know a bit about the runes used in broom making but it was not something she was interested so she wasn’t that invested in the knowledge. There were other parts of rune lore that were so much more intriguing. After she heard the spiel Ginny turned to her with a pleased smile and asked, “Well, what do you think ‘mione?”

“Does it sound good to you? You know that I am not the broom aficionado that you are. You are the one that knows all about this stuff.” Hermione asked, putting her fate in the hands of her girlfriend, who did after all have a vested interest in her safety.

“Well, from what he said, it has better acceleration and handling than the one you practiced with but not too much for you. It won’t over handle like the Comet did for you, since it is expecting you to know what you are doing and expects you to be playing Quidditch. It still has all the same safety features that you like including a new homing feature that can return the broom to a preset point if you get lost, which if you are not used to getting around flying can be really useful. From everything we have talked about for you and brooms, I think for you it would be a good choice. It takes the broom you liked and gives you more. You can even add some saddlebags to it if you want, so you can carry whatever you might need.” said Ginny, grinning at her girlfriend, clearly amused with the idea of Hermione actually buying a broom.

“Okay. If you’re sure this is a good choice? Then I would like to get one of the new Bluebottle Ts please. It fits with what I am looking for in a broom and she thinks it’s good.” said Hermione. She was doing this; she was really doing this, she was actually getting her own broom. It was almost unbelievable. Who would have thought that the girl who had been so afraid of flying for years would own her own broom?

The salesman nodded, took the voucher that she had gotten from Harry and went off to go collect her broom from the back. Ginny moved closer and hugged her excitedly. “I am so proud of you ‘mione. You actually bought a broom. You committed yourself to actually flying on a regular basis! Who would have ever believed that? I wonder if there was a bet on that?”

Her mother was grinning at her, that annoying knowing smile that Hermione had grown up seeing a little too often, even more so of late. There was something she wasn’t saying and she looked a bit too smug for her own good. Her mum was plotting something or was holding back and she really wanted to know what it was. “What?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all dear. I am so glad you and your girlfriend have this in common. Now why don’t we go and rescue you father from the Leaky Cauldron and get back to the Spa. We wouldn’t want you to miss any of your all-important massage treatments now would we?” Hermione could tell there was some teasing going on but she wasn’t sure exactly what it was about. It had to be about her and Ginny but she wasn’t exactly sure of the specifics. Her mother was just a grinning fool and it made her want to smack her.

“Maybe in just a little bit. Gin, did you want to drop by Quality Quidditch really fast?” asked Hermione, offering the visit up as thanks for the help.

Hearing that, Ginny’s eyes lit up. “Could I? Really? There are a couple of things that I need that would be really helpful for my own play and for the team and they won’t cost me too much. It shouldn’t take me more than a few minutes. Oh, and do you want to look in on George really quick?”

Hermione grinned, happy to see Ginny so giddy. “Sure. This can be a spot check to see if he is holding up his end of the bargain.”

“Bargain? Hermione Jean Granger, what did you do?” asked her mother, her gaze rather penetrating and demanding of answers.

“I… well I sort of bribed George to keep him motivated back during the summer. I didn’t want him to completely wallow in depression because of Fred dying to the point that the business that he and his brother loved so much failed so when I realized that I had something that he would really want I insisted that he keep striving towards better sales and such if he wanted any hope of seeing the things. And apparently, from what I have heard, it is working.” replied Hermione, trying to avoid giving away too much detail about what exactly the bribe in question was in case her mother get on her case. She really did not want to get interrogated over that though she was aware that her mother was not an idiot. It would not take a lot of thought to figure out exactly what the bribe was but hopefully she wouldn’t think about it too much.

Her mother rolled her eyes in disbelief, “You know that isn’t a healthy way to deal with loss Hermione. It could actually have a negative effect.”

“I know, I know. Remember I’ve done a lot of reading recently on the stages of grief and other things as part of my figuring myself out. My thinking was that if he kept moving than he would be able to work through the stages of grief, because if part of his brain was busy dealing with needing to keep the store going and profitable then, knowing George, he would stumble through the stages and eventually feel a little better. Otherwise there is too much that could keep him from feeling better, like mirrors, pranks or most anything that had a chance of reminding him of Fred and I didn’t want that.” Hermione shrugged, her emotions tightening her chest. “I know it’s was not a great plan but it seemed to be the most helpful idea I had at the time. I was only trying to help.”

Her mother hugged her, kissing the top of her head. She ran her hand down Hermione’s back several times. “I really do love you Hermione, I really do, you are a kind and compassionate young woman but your plans are sometimes helpful like your father.”

“Hey!” protested Hermione, somewhat affronted by the comparison.

Ginny started snickering over that. Hermione glared at her but it had little effect on the rather amused redhead. Before things devolved further into madness the salesman returned with the broomstick, boxed up for travel and bound with twine. “Here you go Miss Granger, the Bluebottle T as requested. Sorry it took so long, I just had to take care of a few last minute items that Mister Potter insisted on having included. And thank you so very much for all you have done for us. I read all about it in the Prophet and the Quibbler. Speaking for myself and my family, we are forever in your debt. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. It was my pleasure.” She was embarrassed by the effusive praise from the man but she spoke absently while looking at the wrapped broom. This was clearly frustrating her and she narrowed her eyes, as if that would let her see through the paper and the box. Ginny took her hands as the man walked away from them, clearly pleased to have met one of the Golden Trio. “Love, we will look at your new broom back at the hotel and find out what Potter the wonderprat had them do to it then. Right now we need to move along before you lose it in the nice man’s store.”

With a huff at Ginny’s words, Hermione turned on her heel and walked from the building grumpily, trying to keep herself from stomping like an upset toddler. The fact that there was some truth to those words was a part of the problem. Ginny came out of the store a minute later with the wrapped broom in hand, Hermione’s mother trailing behind her, the both of them looking at the brunette rather concerned. Ginny came up to her and spoke calmly, “It’s okay Kitten. Harry is a git. We all know that and have known that for years. He can’t help himself. My guess is that he caught it from my brother but who knows. But I am sure he didn’t have them do anything bad to your broom. He loves you too much to have gotten you a gift only to turn around and ruin it.”

“I just want to know what he had them do.” whined Hermione, a bit petulantly.

“It’s okay, we’ll find out and hex him later. Relax Kitten. This right here is a perfect example of why this weekend is so important for you. You are doing better than you have been but you need to just let some things go more. Back at school this might have gotten you to explode a bit more than you did.” stated Ginny, with a bit of a sad smile on her face.

“I was going to wait to tell you until you were ready to leave on Sunday night but maybe it might be better to let you know now. Your father and I got you several books on stress relief and a few items to help you in dealing with that. We just want you to be okay because current research does show some sort of link between stress and illness even though it isn’t exactly sure what. Working yourself sick is not a good place to be and I know the both of us would rather you not.” Her mother reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder gently, like she had done her whole life. The familiarity of the gesture was helping calm her down and just the happy thought that her mother was here with her and her girlfriend in Diagon Alley shopping helped more than she had expected.

Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath in and let it out slowly trying to feel the tension and stress flow out of her. She could feel some control returning to her. She ran her hand down the inside of her left forearm, drawing strength from the gesture. “Thank you, both of you. I don’t like snapping like that. It makes me feel so out of control, almost like I’ve gone crazy.”

“No problem.” said Ginny, giving her a warm smile that also served to lighten her mood some. “Let’s go see George. He’s good at cheering people up and we could all use some of that.”

The Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes store was still where it had always been, at 93 Diagon Alley with the sign all friendly and inviting just like always. The three of them entered and noted that while it wasn’t empty it was about as busy as the other stores in the alley, which was impressive for a Saturday while Hogwarts was in session. They walked up to Verity who was working behind a counter by the cash register and Ginny asked the blonde, “Hey Verity, is George in?”

She nodded as she was ringing someone up, giving her some acknowledgement. “Yeah Ginny, he’s upstairs. Go on up.”

The youngest Weasley waved the other two after her and the three of them headed up to the loft where the twins had lived. After knocking on the door in a broken pattern, the redhead opened it up slowly and cautiously, obviously checking for some sort of booby traps and seeing none led them in. The loft seemed to be part workroom and part living quarters, with bits of experiments scattered most everywhere. As they walked into the living room, a confused voice called out the back, “Ginny? What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be up at Hogwarts?”

Ginny snickered at her brother and said rather cheekily, “I got time off for good behavior Georgie. Hermione and I had some stuff to do with her parents this weekend and McGonagall let us loose early, something about privileges for her favorite students or something.”

Hermione looked a touch affronted but based off Ginny’s amusement there was clearly something more to this than she was aware of. It had to be a sibling thing. George came in sight, dressed in rather grubby clothes, wiping his hands clean on his dungarees. “I am crushed, veritably wounded I tell you that she does not consider my brother and I to still be her favorite students bar none. We have heard her declare her undying love for us on more than one occasion.”

Raising an eyebrow at this assertion, Hermione tilted her head slightly to the side as she asked, “Really now?”

George gave her a mischievous grin that she hadn’t seen in a long time, warming her heart, “Absolutely! She is our most devoted fan.”

Not wanting to push the issue anymore, Hermione instead changed topics and asked, “So what are you working on?”

“Well, thanks to the couple of journal excerpts you have sent me and some older notes that I have found stashed away of projects we…” George paused here and closed his eyes as if he suddenly needed to fight back tears. It seemed as if the caviler nature of his comments had caught up to him. Ginny came over and laid a hand on his arm and he smiled at her before continuing, “…we were not able to make work before. The notes you sent gave me some new approaches that just might allow me to make them happen. So I am hoping that with Lupin’s journals I might be able to make more of the ideas Fred and I weren’t able to create before a reality. That way it will keep his memory alive a bit longer.”

Ginny hugged him and said, “George, his memory will last longer than that. You two made this amazing store which is threatening Zonko’s everyday it’s open. The work the two of you did helped keep the light going when so much else was dark. How can you even remotely believe that he will be forgotten? Did you know that Flitwick managed to save a bit of that swamp you two cooked up in your seventh year? When the Death Eaters took over the school he kept it from being destroyed by hiding it, saying work that clever needed to be preserved and not destroyed by ignorant thugs. It’s still right where it needs to be, an example of how two absolutely brilliant trouble makers fought back against a horrible toad and won.”

George hugged Ginny tighter, tears in his eyes. Hermione was crying as well. She missed Fred and Ginny had clearly said just the right things to get George to let loose. George asked, “So, I guess he’ll never really be forgotten then?”

Hermione chimed in, adding her two cents to the mix, hoping to drive the point Ginny was making home, “As long as there is a Hogwarts, that bit of swamp will be there along with the plaque Professor Flitwick made for you two. When you come up next week you can come see it. It’s actually really cool.”

“I’ll do that.” said George, his voice a bit thick.

Ginny smiled at him, hugging him again before stepping back and towards Hermione. “Well, hate to traumatize and run, but we need to rescue ‘mione’s father from the Cauldron before who knows what happens. Thankfully Dad’s not there or it would be a huge conversation on plugs. We just wanted to drop by and see you and ‘mione here wanted to do a spot check.”

George laughed, obviously amused by this. “Yeah. Well, at least he isn’t as bad about the magical world as Dad is about the Muggle. That would be terribly embarrassing for everybody. Oh and by the way sis?”

“Yes?”

“Seeing as I am going to be collecting a whole boatload of galleons in the New Year, can you tell me when exactly you started dating Hermione here?” George said rather pointedly, clearly well aware of what was going on. “It’s for posterity mind you.”

The two girls blushed at his words and a rather flustered Ginny spluttered out, “How? What? How? Uh… what?”

Hermione’s mother started laughing at that, shaking her head in amusement at Ginny’s complete failure to remain calm. George grinned happily and replied, “Well the first how is actually rather easy. The body language between you two has changed and you two keep glancing at each other and giving each other these little smiles and I’m not really sure you two are even aware that you’re doing it. That is a pretty huge giveaway if you know how to read people, and I have been reading you for your whole life Firefly. It became a necessary skill once you got that Bat Bogey hex. Now the what in this case is that Fred and I had noticed some interesting and rather intriguing behavior from Hermione and you the summer before and then part of your fourth year, there was even stuff that we saw just before your fifth year and on holidays. There was just a something there but we weren’t exactly sure what but it kept itching at us to figure it out. And then the more we saw you both together the more whatever it was between you grew. So there was a betting pool that was set up, in our sixth year, about who would end up with who in the Golden Trio by the time they graduated. The betting moved back and forth and it got rather heated at times. There is some rather serious money in the pot, let me tell you. However, before things closed the summer the war started Fred and I were the only ones to put money on you two. We saw something there and we knew we had to take the long shot. The betting hasn’t reopened since.”

Ginny was groaning at this point and Hermione had a hand over her face trying to hide the growing blush. She couldn’t believe it but then again, knowing some of their friends she could. She could almost imagine the specific people who were involved in this betting pool and it made her want to go and start smacking them around for good measure. Her life was not supposed to be used for betting!

“The next how is that members of all three Houses wanted in on this little pool and to join you had to sign a contract that said all bets were final and that the decision would be made based off of who the person was dating at their Graduation or within one week of that time. Thanks to the war everyone agreed that it now is going to be your Graduation Hermione as the end date for everything and like I said, no more new bets are being taken. As for the last what… do you really think that I would be upset seeing you with the most amazing witch in the whole of the Magical World? You’re my favorite sister and the only two people that were even remotely close to being good enough for you, according to both Fred and I, and I must say that this is actually in order were the lovely Hermione here and his Potterness himself. Harry came in second in this whole thing because he kept breaking your heart and even though he is a great person overall he’s also a berk for doing that. You deserve the absolute best baby sis and it looks to me like you got it.” George ended with a huge grin.

Ginny launched herself at her brother, almost cracking his ribs with how fierce her hug was if his face was any indication. It was clearly a mix of a Hermione Hug and one of her mother’s hugs. “I love you George.”

“I love you too Firefly. You just be happy and that’ll be good enough for me, money or no money. That’s all that’s really important.” He towered over her, hugging her back. “And you, you take good care of her because you know what happens to people who don’t.”

Hermione nodded, the smile on her face was quite broad.

“Are you going to find someone to make you happy?” Ginny asked a bit worriedly, looking up at him with somewhat sad and hope filled eyes.

George was quiet for a few moments and then sighed, deflating a little, “I guess so. I mean, I’ve been working so hard here to make sure that Fred isn’t forgotten and now that I think about it Fred would have been kicking me in the arse to get me moving. You know how he was, he would want me living my life, not hiding away up here, regardless of the reason. Maybe I should give Angelina a floo, see what she’s up to?”

Hermione and Ginny grinned at the older boy happily. Hermione was very pleased with all of this, as it was clear that he was doing his best to move on from where he had been and said, “I’ll get copies of the full journals to you once I get back, at least the first couple of years. There is some good stuff in there. Anyway, keep up the good work and the rest will be yours in no time.”

George came over and hugged Hermione, “Thank you. I know you were trying to play me but it seemed so unlike you that I had to go along. It actually helped. Thank you. And I’m serious; you better take good care of my baby sis.”

“I will. Don’t mention it.”

The little group headed back towards the Leaky Cauldron, a bit red eyed from the emotional visit but pleased with the way things had gone up in that loft. Ginny had more spring in her step than she had earlier and it made Hermione smile to see it. Given how worried she was over her family knowing about them, George’s ready acceptance of her had to mean a lot. She knew it meant a lot to her so Ginny had to be over the moon.

They walked into the Leaky Cauldron and spotted Hermione’s father sitting over at the bar talking to Tom. Still smiling happily over the recent developments, they came over and Hermione and Ginny called out their greetings to the man behind the bar. He seemed a bit surprised to see them and then he looked very pleased. “Bless my soul, if it ain’t Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley. It’s a pleasure indeed having you two fine ladies here.”

“Tom we’ve been here before loads of times. No need to act that way with us.” said Hermione, a bit flustered. Honestly between the looks and the way people were acting around her it was making her a touch crazy. Really, no wonder Harry hated this kind of thing.

“You weren’t exactly heroes before, now were ye?” It was a plain statement that could not be argued with. They had to concede the point and he nodded in acceptance.

Mr. Granger turned from his butterbeer and asked the three women standing there, “So, are you ladies ready to get going?”

“Yes please. I think I could use some relaxing from all of this.” said Hermione, somewhat tired already. With the emotional ups and down she had gone through she could do with a lie down.

Ginny leaned in and said softly and seductively in Hermione’s ear, “Well Kitten… let’s see if we can make that happen.”


	32. Chapter 32

Thirty-Two

It was a different sight from what she was used to seeing after seven years of knowing him, but seeing Harry rush up and hug Luna, spinning her around so that the blond girl squealed happily was quite simply the most adorable Harry moment ever. He had a big grin on his face while he was doing it that was so atypical and his green eyes were only on her. Hermione was so excited at seeing her best friend feeling this alive that she really did not know what to do. This was something new and it made her smile, quite pleased to be witnessing this sweet moment between the two of them. He dipped his girl, still holding her aloft in his arms, and kissed her soundly. When he let her up Luna was giggling softly, her eyes twinkling merrily and looking right at him as if he was all that existed in the world. There was no doubt as to what either was feeling at the moment. Harry set her down lightly and she was slightly wobbly, a blissfully dazed look on her face and a smile that spoke volumes. Then he came over and hugged Hermione in much the same manner, twirling her about.

Laughing, she was grinning from ear to ear when she was put back down onto her feet, thankfully unsnogged. “I’ve missed you Harry.”

“I’ve missed you too Hermione and I even miss the school believe it or not but the Auror training has actually been interesting. For the most part, this stage of it has been really easy for me, since I know all of what they are teaching and I might actually be a bit better than some of this round of instructors thanks to Moody and what he was trying to drill into our heads.” Harry was pleased about everything and looked good, having gained some height and some muscle. Luna drifted over and took his arm, hugging it.

“I’m glad to hear that and I do hope you are studying without needing to be prodded. I know what your study habits are like Harry. Now, what was the whole business with having them put Wild Otter on my broom with a picture of something like my Patronus on it? Are you crazy?”

Harry started snickering. “But Hermione, giving you nose art on your broom is so perfectly you that it’s crazy. I am sure it’s cute as I actually got to approve the art before I would agree to it. It really does fit. How can you argue with that?”

“I guess you can’t. Ginny loved it and wants to do something like that for her broom now. With your luck you’ve started the newest fad in brooms. Honestly Harry, you can be so weird sometimes. It’s a good thing I love you. Speaking of that, I have been worried about you. Have you been sleeping well? Any problems?” She asked worriedly, knowing about her own issues and how they had been affecting her.

“A few, but I have easy access to Senior Healer Bainsley whenever I need it so that’s been fine. So he has tinkered with my potions a few times, and there are a couple of other things I have been doing, to deal with some of the spell damage and trauma. It really has been a good help. I am getting better Hermione, really. I am not in the same state I was in when you came back from Oz.” Harry did look good and she had to give him that. The Harry she saw in Grimmauld Place when she had come back after retrieving her parents was nothing like this Harry. This one wasn’t even like the Harry she had known in school. This was pretty much the best parts Harry and that was wonderful.

This description of his further treatment peaked Hermione’s interest, “Oh? Like what sort of spell damage?”

“Oh I don’t know… maybe like being hit by the Killing Curse for a second time.” said Harry rather dryly, rolling his eyes.

 Ginny bumped a blushing Hermione and said, “Granger, stop hogging the Prat who lived.”

This earned some laughter as Harry was let go of by Luna before hugged her enthusiastically, lifting her off her feet. He did not twirl her but held her in the air as he spoke, “Hey Gin.”

“Hey Harry. Good to see you. Where’s my git of a brother?” asked Ginny with a smile.

Harry shrugged and put her back down. “I’m not exactly sure to be honest. He was held up some and I have no idea why. I may have been a little too focused on something when I got here to pay attention to that. Why do you ask?”

The girls scanned the area quickly to make sure there were no eavesdroppers about and then Ginny said, “We’re telling him today.”

Harry groaned, dropping his head forward. He ran a hand through his messy hair. “Seriously? You’re telling him today of all days? Are you at least going to do it before things kick off?”

Ginny and Hermione nodded. Hermione was biting her bottom lip nervously before she spoke, saying, “We wanted to take care of things early, to give him some time during the event to cope with everything so that he might be able to talk to us by the end. After what we have figured out with the PTSD and everything we really are worried about him. Have you had any luck getting him to go see someone?”

“Not yet but I keep trying making it clear to him that it isn’t a bad thing and that if it happened to the both of us then it is likely that it happened to him as well.” explained Harry with a shrug. “But you know Ron, getting him to do things he doesn’t want to do is almost impossible. He keeps saying he’s fine and nothing’s wrong and to leave him alone about things.”

“Yeah, we do and that’s the problem. We want to do this with as little drama as possible and unfortunately Ron creates a lot of that on his own without help from anyone else. Right now we want to get things started so that he might actually be open to talking to us later, when he calms down. It was the best plan that we could think of. We owe it to him to tell him first.” explained Ginny, not bothering to say anything about George, especially since he had figured it out and hadn’t been told at all.

“Fine. I wish you two luck with this. Do you think you will need me here? You know, in case he does something Ronnish?” asked Harry, clearly as nervous as they were about the upcoming meeting.

Hermione bit her lower lip again. It wasn’t as if it were a bad idea but she could also see the flip side of it. “No, if we do that then he’ll think we’re ganging up on him. You go hang out with Luna and make her smile more. She’s really missed you and could use some Harry time. Gin and I know how much she has been mooning over you and I am fairly certain you have been missing her as well. This way at least someone is happy. We’ll go find him and get this over with before the ceremony begins.”

With a grin he hugged Luna to him and kissed the blonde’s temple before he nodded acceptance as the two girls walked off, looking for Ron. Ginny looked back over her shoulder at the dark haired Harry and the light haired Luna cuddling and commented, “They really are cute together.”

Hermione nodded, in complete agreement with her girlfriend. The two of them really did warm her heart when she looked at them. “I’m happy for both of them. Luna lets Harry be the kid he’s never been able to be before and Harry gives Luna the love and stability she has needed since her mother died. They really do balance each other out nicely and you can just see how much they adore each other. It is as plain as day. Pushing them together was one of my best ideas ever.”

Ginny turned her head and looked at her somewhat confused, “Wait, this whole thing was your idea?”

“Well, knowing how much talking to Luna helped me when I was at Shell Cottage in getting over my… my experience, I figured that she would also be able to help him deal with what he was going through. She really is very insightful and while I do think that some of her creatures are a bit fanciful, some of them actually do make a sort of sense if you look at them from a certain point of view. My time with her helped me see that and to be better able to appreciate her and her way of thinking. I figured, since she and Harry already got along, considering how he took her to Slughorn’s party and all, that his talking to her about all of this would be easy for him to do.” explained Hermione with a shrug. “If anything happened that would be a bonus.”

“Oh and leading him away so you could have your wicked way with me wasn’t your point?” teased Ginny, with a happy grin on her face.

“Gin…” Hermione’s voice was very chiding, “By the time I had suggested that to him he had already told me to let you know he couldn’t be with you because of all of his issues and that he felt he was always letting you down. He was really torn up about it. You know I wouldn’t do that, sabotaging a friend like that, especially Harry. Besides at that point I didn’t even know about myself and my interest in girls. If I had I certainly thought there was no way that you would be interested in a relationship with me.”

Ginny shrugged, acknowledging those points. “I wasn’t, well… not really, but you were so awesome and so good to me that I couldn’t really help myself. I fell completely in love with you over the summer thanks to everything you did. You treated me like I had always wanted to be treated and that made me feel special. Seriously Hermione, what can I say… you’re that good.”

Hermione rolled her eyes, of all the things she had ever expected to hear, Ginny stating that she had been turned gay by how incredible Hermione was had to be near the bottom of that list. “Honestly Ginevra.”

Ginny was about to retort when the playful smile fled her face as it shut down. She pointed behind her girlfriend and said in a flat and worried tone, “There he is.”

Hermione’s muscles tensed some at the thought of the upcoming conflict and she put on a somewhat fake smile as she turned about to head towards Ron, with Ginny in tow. As she got close to him she noted that he seemed a bit off. She called out, “Hi Ron!”

“Hermione! Ginny! How have you been?” He came up and hugged them both, his arms lingering around Hermione for a bit longer. Both girls were impressed by how he had filled out since his training had begun. He was a good bit more muscular than before and even looked a bit taller and more broad shouldered than when they had seen him last and the changes did him good. He looked more like Bill and Charlie than before and the physical maturity was working nicely.

“Not too bad. We’ve been really busy lately with classes and the like.” said Hermione, trying to keep things nice and calm at the moment as she could feel her anxiety over this beginning to ramp up. It was making her stomach start to churn and she was hoping she was able to keep it off her face. “Hey… can we go talk over there?”

He looked at her a bit funny when she asked that, as if he wasn’t sure what exactly was going on and said cautiously, “Sure.”

The three of them headed away from the rest of the people milling about and chatting to an area fairly separated from the rest. It was doubtful that anyone could casually overhear them and they could easily see anyone heading towards them. This was the best she could do. Ron was fidgeting a little and appeared to be a bit worried over what was to come. Hermione couldn’t really blame him as how could this have not sounded suspicious when she had spoken? He was a touch accusatory as he asked, “What is it? I figure it has to be bad news or something if you had to drag me over here to tell me. Clearly you didn’t want to make a scene.”

Hermione wasn’t exactly sure how to say this, as the whole issue with him had been plaguing her for a while and even though her relationship with Ginny was all she had ever wanted and more, this had been hanging over it like the Sword of Damocles ready to fall and ruin things at any moment. She had tried planning what to say but all of those words scattered like frightened rabbits from the look in his face. It took her a moment but she found some words and pressed on. “Ron, look, I’ve needed to tell you something for a while now, something important but I wanted to do it face to face as a letter would be far too impersonal and it wouldn’t be fair to you.”

“It’s another bloke isn’t it!” growled out Ron, clearly jumping to the conclusion. His blue eyes were narrowed in anger. “You’re leaving me for some other bloke aren’t you? Bloody hell Hermione, you couldn’t just send me a letter to let me know or even give me a heads up that something was wrong? You had to wait and tell me face to face?”

She was fighting her immediate response of diving into the fight and screaming right back at him, giving as good as she got, which is what she normally did when it came to him and his asinine responses. Of course Ron would be upset over this; there was nothing about any of this that was a surprise to her. He had every right to be but there really was no cause for him to be this aggressive. Did he have to respond to everything with growling and an urge to attack it? “Ron, I know I told you before that I was not interested in having a romantic relationship with you but knowing you I figured you might be holding on. I didn’t want you to be holding on to false hope. I just wanted to make sure that the both of us were on the same page is all.”

“Of course I was holding on Hermione! I told you as much the last time we talked! You know how I feel about you. It led me to you. You’ve known how I feel about you for a while now! I told you when I came back to you guys. I was led there by my heart, by how I felt about you. I still feel that way about you now. I love you Hermione! That hasn’t changed.” Ron was getting more and more worked up and that was worrying her some. His voice was growing louder and sharper. There was no way that this was going to end without a huge fight. Why did it have to come to this?

“But I did. I changed. I told you Ron when we were at Shell Cottage that what Bellatrix did to me that night changed me… a lot and it forced me think about myself in ways I never had before. It was not a comfortable experience, going through that or having to re-evaluate my life. There was a reason that I pulled away from you Ron, a reason I was no longer interested in having a relationship with you and it’s not because you are a bad guy and it’s not because I don’t love you.” explained Hermione yet again, feeling a growing hopelessness within as Ron never seemed to be able to understand what she was trying to say about things. Why was he always so thick when it was important? This wasn’t really all that difficult to understand so why was he making it such an issue? How could he be that obtuse?

“Then if you love me what’s the problem!” interrupted Ron, cutting into what she was saying abruptly, practically demanding her love in return.

Hermione closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to stave off the growing headache that this was giving her. This was not going like she had planned and yet sadly it was going exactly like she had half expected it to go. She let out her breath in a heavy sigh and looked at him, her eyes tired and sad, everything she was feeling clearly on display. “I am trying to get to that Ronald, so shut up, please.”

Ron pursed his lips tight until they were white but his face was red with his anger. It was clear that his emotions were only growing in intensity and the fuse had been lit. She was sure he was going to blow in just a little while and there was nothing she could think of to stop this except to cave in and accept his love. She really didn’t need this.

The only thing that she could think of to do right now was to dive right in and tear the bandage off, to not give him any room to find a toehold to keep this dream of his alive. She had wanted to work him around to this but clearly this wasn’t going to play out that way. There was no way that he was going to make this easy so there was no reason for her to make it easy either. “Look, what you need to know about me is that the reason I pulled away from you is that I am not attracted to guys.”

“Bollocks!” yelled Ron. A few heads turned their way curiously, noting the outburst and Ron’s agitation but the three of them were too far away from everyone else to be overheard by any of those others. His face was bright red, eyes narrowed, and his hands were clenched tightly. She had rarely seen him this angry. “That’s complete bollocks and you know it. What about those other guys you dated before me and that I know you snogged? I know we snogged and you enjoyed it.”

“Yes Ron, I am aware that we did snog. And yes, you’re right, I did kiss Viktor and sadly MacLaggen and of all the boys I have kissed you were by far the best of the bunch. However that still does not change the fundamental fact I am not into boys.” explained Hermione in growing frustration, hoping that she was able to get through to him. Honestly, this was getting ridiculous and making her rather grumpy. “That’s why we never went any farther than the occasional snog.”

“So what you’re saying is that you’re into girls then? Are you seriously telling me that? You know, I guess the only way you would really know that is I figure you’re seeing someone then? Are you? Are you dating some girl?” His voice was tense and his hands clenched, even tighter, his knuckles seemed to be growing white.

Despite how much she wanted to lie about this to try and make this easier for Ron, it went against so much of who she was to lie to her friends, even if it might make him feel better. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. This had to be done if he was ever going to leave her alone and move on with his life. “Yes I am. I have been seeing them for a while now.”

“How long?” He growled out, glaring at her in building fury.

“Ron does it really matter? Isn’t enough to know it’s happening?” she asked, trying to deflect this whole line of questioning. This was heading closer and closer to an explosion and she had no idea how to defuse this. It was like watching a disaster in progress but being unable to do anything.

“How long!?” he yelled, his voice not carrying as far as his earlier shout but much more spiteful.

Hermione flinched from that and wished that she could find shelter in Ginny’s arms right now, but this really wasn’t the time for something like that. If she did that things might actually come to blows and that needed to be avoided at all costs. “If you really must know, since a few weeks before school started.”

Ron glared at her, his mind clearly at work churning over all of this information. His blue eyes cut over towards his sister who had been standing off to the side, quietly watching this whole time, her own hands clenched tightly together, knuckles white, looking on uncomfortably. It was clear she was trying to restrain herself from moving or saying something in comment. He looked back at Hermione and then back at his sister before his eyes widened in realization, taking a step back in shock, “No! Bloody Hell! No! You didn’t!”

“Ron, please!” Hermione was begging him to listen to him.

“My own sister? You and my sister? That’s… that’s… that’s disgusting! How could you? And you!” He turned to face his sister, his eyes blazing with pure hatred. “You knew how I felt about her!”

“Yes Ron I did but what was I supposed to do about that? I also knew she wasn’t interested in you. I didn’t plan on it I just fell in love with her!” Ginny yelled right back, not giving her brother an inch. She was not going to yield to Ron over anything, especially anything important like this.

His eyes narrowed and he asked accusingly, “Well, what about Harry?”

“What about Harry? He dumped me again, at the beginning of the summer and Hermione was there to help me pick up the pieces, even before she knew she was into girls. She was there for me when I needed someone after Fred died. All she’s ever done is be there for me and show me love and kindness. So yeah, we didn’t plan on this, didn’t plan to ruin your perfect little dream relationship but I am happy with her and I don’t bloody care!” Ginny stepped forward challengingly, daring Ron to do something.

Ron stepped closer to her, the distance separating them dwindling. “My own sister betrayed me, turning on her own family, how pathetic is that!”

“I didn’t betray anyone you bloody idiot! She told you that you weren’t together anymore, a couple of times, and anyway you kept doing dumb things that were only driving you apart, even if she had been interested in you. Besides, you’re one to talk about betrayal!” spat Ginny, her own eyes blazing to match Ron’s.

“Ginny!” yelled Hermione, shocked by what her girlfriend had said to her brother. She couldn’t believe how vicious this whole thing was getting. “Shut up and move over there. You are not helping!”

Ginny glared at Ron and moved off over to where Hermione was pointing, never taking her eyes off her brother. It was clear from the way that she was holding herself that she was ready to jump into the fray if needed at a moment’s notice. The tension in the air between the three of them was palpable and charged with their magic. It was creating enough static energy in the air that she could feel her hair begin to frizz ever so slightly. Hermione sighed in frustration; this was going oh so well. She needed to find some way past this impasse if this was ever going to work. “Look Ron, I’m sorry that things turned out this way, I really am. You are one of my best friends and I never wanted to hurt you with this. Just because we are not romantically involved does not mean I don’t want to be friends with you. You and I have been friends for all these years; can we please just get past this? I just want you to be happy for me and I want you to find your own happiness.”

Ron glared a bit more at Ginny, and then he looked back at Hermione and shrugged. It was easy to tell that he had given up on the argument. “Fine. Whatever. I don’t know. Let me think about it.”

He trudged off, clearly upset by all of this, and his mood seemed to follow him like a miasma of despair. Hermione groaned, wanting to scream, smack Ron, maybe even yell at Ginny for her interference but none of it would be helpful and when she turned Ginny was there with her arms open, looking contrite. “I’m sorry Kitten, I really am. I’m such a git. I shouldn’t have yelled at him.”

Hermione slumped against her, the stress of that confrontation making her feel a bit weak and jittery. “It’s okay Vixy. You were only defending me. We knew he wasn’t going to take it well, I just thought he might take it better than this. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it ‘mione. It’s not like we planned for it to go badly. So I guess this means we have Ron and George covered, in terms of letting them know. Now all we have to do is tell everyone else.” Ginny grumbled in frustration, obviously not partial to the idea. “Oh Merlin, I hate this.”

“Well, Bill might also know, since Fleur already knows.” added Hermione helpfully as she freed herself from Ginny’s arms. “But I’m not sure if she told him. She may keep it secret since it is out business.”

“I keep forgetting that you told her everything before you told me how you felt.” Ginny rolled her eyes.

“Like I was going to tell you how I felt at that point?” countered Hermione. “I didn’t even know if you were interested.”

“Okay. That’s a fair point. I’m not upset about it and was mostly teasing, to lighten the mood you know. So is there anything else we need to do be doing before this whole crazy event you set up starts?” asked Ginny, looking around at the crowd.

“I just need to check a few last minute things with Percy but everything is good on my end. I am looking forward to this being over so I can collapse for a while. Go grab our seats and I’ll be right there.” said Hermione.

Ginny nodded and squeezed her arm before she headed off towards the Great Hall, where everything was already set up and decorated for the ceremony. Hermione was able to find Percy with a bit of work and was able to confirm that everything was ready on both sides of this event, both the Hogwarts side and the Ministry. Everything was prepared and once the ceremony was over, everything would be cleaned up by the more than willing house elves and there would still be the usual Halloween dinner tonight for all of the students. The house elves had assured her that they could do all of that with no problem and she believed them but it did seem a bit crazy to her. The fact that they looked excited by the challenge it presented was disturbing. She would never understand them. They just didn’t make any sort of sense.

Once she was done checking in with Percy she headed off to find Ginny who was supposed to be sitting up near the front with Harry and Ron and the other survivors of the battle. As she neared the entrance to the Great Hall a pair of people moved to intercept her in a nonthreatening manner. They were dressed quite fashionably, predominantly in black and one had a very familiar head of white blond hair. She paused and watched Mother and Son come toward her slightly cautiously.

“Miss Granger, might we have a moment of your time?” asked Mrs. Malfoy, looking far less haughty than she used to.

“Certainly.” Hermione moved away from the flow of traffic into the Great Hall and the two of them followed. “How can I help you Mrs. Malfoy?”

“I know that when we last saw each other it was under… rather poor terms. I would like to apologize to you, especially for my sister’s abhorrent behavior.” Narcissa was clearly uncomfortable with this but it was clear that she was working to move past her issues to accomplish this.

“I would like to apologize as well Granger, uh… Miss Granger for how I behaved to you while we were classmates. There was no call for that and it reflects poorly on me and my family.” Draco looked physically pained to be saying this and he bowed his head slightly.

Hermione was completely stunned by that development. The whole idea of the Malfoys ever doing something like this just boggled her mind. What had happened to have made them come to her of their own accord and apologize to her? Whatever it was it had to have been pretty big. She figured she had to say something but she had no idea what. “Thank you both for that. Especially you Draco, I hope you didn’t pull something while saying that.” Her smile softened her words some and Draco gave her the ghost of a familiar look. “I know you didn’t have to do this.”

“We owed you this at the very least Miss Granger. Draco told me that you, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley saved him from the Fiendfyre that one of his… friends so foolishly cast? I owe you three so very much for that. My son means very much to me.” Draco was blushing as his mother spoke, clearly embarrassed by what she was saying.

“Mrs. Malfoy, despite our combative relationship there was no way we were going to let someone die in that. I am just glad that we managed to get out of there. It was a pretty close thing.” She said, with a bit of a smile. Her mind was racing, trying to figure out what else she needed to say. That they were doing this at all was interesting. It was possible that she could milk this for more as it was quite possible that Draco owed them a life debt but she wasn’t sure. Perhaps the situation simply warranted some degree of closure. “I accept your apology. Thank you for that.”

Draco barely withheld a grimace at that though his mother was able to smile at her graciously and then glide into the Great Hall. Hermione shook her head, amazed by the whole thing. Who would have believed that had just happened? She was sure that Ginny would simply stare at her when she told her about this. Heading into the Hall she moved down the aisle where she waved at her parents as she walked by them. They grinned at her and waved back, clearly impressed with the school. It made her sad that this was the first time they had seen the school that she loved so much. But they were here now and that was something. She took her seat next to Ginny and squeezed her thigh. Ginny shared a grin with her and they waited for things to begin, which wouldn’t be long as she had been one of the last people inside.

Once it was clear that the crowd was seated, the Frog Choir walked up on stage and sang a few songs, under the direction of Professor Flitwick. They were really good, as usual, and helped quiet down the audience and get them focused on the front of the room. Once that performance was over Kingsley Shacklebolt walked up to the podium and looked out across the mass of people filling the room. “Thank you Professor Flitwick and the Hogwarts Frog Choir for those songs you performed for us, truly a wonderful way to begin this event. Ladies and gentlemen, students, thank you all for coming here today. Today is a special day, a day to remember those who have done so much for us. On the evening of this day, seventeen years ago the first Wizarding War against the forces of the Death Eaters and their master, Lord Voldemort came to an end.”

There were some gasps, but not as many as usual. Hermione guessed that it was the fact that the most feared villain of the wizarding world was dead and had been dead for months helped matters. It was a sign that people were getting better that they could hear that name without as much fear as before.

“It has also been almost eight months since the second Wizarding War against the same forces ended in a pitched battle right here on the grounds of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. We are here today in order to recognize those brave souls who fought in that battle and to commemorate those who have died in the fight against that Dark Wizard who sought to destroy all that was good and noble in our country.” Minister Shacklebolt stood proud and tall, ignoring the occasional flash of a wizarding camera as he spoke. He appeared to be the absolute perfect image of a Minister of Magic quite unlike Fudge or any other person who had held this spot since that bowler wearing fool.

“It is also a time for us to right past wrongs and to celebrate justice. It is a time for us to pull together as a nation and move past these horrors and the bigotry that spawned them. It is a time for us to become the great society that we always had the promise to be.” He paused for applause, waving people quiet after a short while. “Thanks to the hard dedicated work of the Wizengamont, it gives me great pleasure to inform you all that the trials of the captured Death Eaters have been concluded, their wealth seized and their sentences have been carried out. Since many of these cases were held during closed sessions of the Wizengamont and under a press blackout I know you all were not aware of everything that had transpired. For the exact sentencing of the various surviving Death Eaters you can see the stories being run in tomorrow’s Daily Prophet.”

There was a good deal of applause at that. It was a nice surprise to hear that. Hermione was aware that there had been a lot of prisoners captured after the battle and if all that had been dealt with that was indeed good news.

“Now we need to make some corrections to the public perceptions of several individuals who gave their lives to defeat Lord Voldemort and his forces. These people were true heroes and need to be remembered as such. First off, Sirius Orion Black the Third.” There were several gasps when he said the name and he continued on, clearly unconcerned with people’s reactions. “He was innocent of the charges brought against him and he had been falsely confined to Azkaban Prison without trial. The real traitor to the Potter family was Peter Pettigrew who was the real secret keeper for the family, and who has since had his Order of Merlin, First Class stripped from him and given instead to Mister Black. The man escaped Azkaban prison with the sole intention of protecting his godson Harry Potter and he did so. While on the run from the Ministry he continued to fight against Death Eaters and the man died fighting in the Ministry of Magic the night it was confirmed Lord Voldemort returned. The man was a hero and should be remembered as such.”

The room was silent and then Harry started applauding, coming to his feet, tears in his eyes. Hermione and the Weasleys were the next onto their feet followed by the other members of the Order of the Phoenix who had also known the truth. The rest of the room nervously followed suit, clearly taking their cues from the acknowledged heroes. Hermione was just so happy that Sirius was getting the recognition that he deserved. Clearly Harry was very moved by the whole thing, which she could understand.

After a few moments Kingsley gestured for everyone to settle down before he continued, “I must also speak about Severus Snape, Potions Master and former Headmaster of Hogwarts. While it is true that the man was a Death Eater, he had been working as a spy against them since the first War. He approached this task with a singular dedication and focus, giving his life wholly to the task of defeating his enemy Lord Voldemort even though he had to appear to be a true believer of that which he most detested. He was so successful in his role as a spy that even many of the Order of the Phoenix doubted him. For his years of work toward fighting against this menace that cost him his own life at the hands of a madman he has been awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class.”

The applause was again started by those who knew the full story and then spread slowly out. He then spoke about the Potters, the Longbottoms, Madeye Moony, the Battle of Hogwarts, talking about the fallen, giving awards to Lupin and Tonks as well, and then saying that those students who had fought in the battle were given Orders of Merlin, Third Class, even the fallen. To say that the students who had fought were stunned by the gesture was an understatement. They just sat there as the room exploded in applause.

Then the teachers who had fought and defended the school were recognized and given awards, with Headmistress McGonnagall being awarded an Order of Merlin, First Class for her work to protect the school and her work in the Order of the Phoenix. The Minister then said, “Could Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasley please come to the stage.”

When the three of them walked up and stood next to him, Kingsley continued speaking, “These three, members of the group known as Dumbledore’s Army that was founded by Harry Potter, led the underground rebellion in the castle while it was under Death Eater control. Through their work they organized the students and managed to smuggle students who were in danger out of the school and to safety. They routinely put themselves in harm’s way for the good of their fellow students and in doing so protected many from torture and possible death. For this both Miss Lovegood and Weasley will receive the Order of Merlin, Second Class. Mr. Longbottom, who in addition to those activities stood up to Voldemort directly when it was thought that Mister Potter had died and then Mr. Longbottom killed his snake with the Sword of Gryffindor. For that, he has earned the Order of Merlin, First Class.”

The applause was loud and long for those three and Hermione was so proud of her girlfriend that she could burst. She just gazed at her girl lovingly, her smile almost hurting her face with how broad it was. While she had expected to get an award herself, she had not expected to see so many given out or for so many awards to be given out for past actions. That the Potter and Longbottom families now had awards for their services was beautiful. This was wonderful.

“And now for the final awards of the day, I would like to call to the podium Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter.”

The audience cheered for them and Hermione blushed as she made her way up to the stairs to stand next to the Minister. She was so caught up in the moment, in catching Ginny’s happy eyes and her parent pride filled eyes that she only barely registered that the Minister was still talking. When she glanced at the other two through the corner of her eye, Harry looked awkward and uncomfortable, clearly not wanting to be there. She had to admit that she didn’t feel much better, her stomach churning some. Ron looked like he was vacillating between pride and getting ready to vomit, his face somewhat pale. This felt so strange, being up here, looking out across this huge crowd that filled the Great Hall and getting lauded for what was essentially doing everything she could to stay alive and keep her best friends alive. In a way it felt wrong to be praised like this, like it was cheating somehow. She was not really anyone special, was she? Naturally her parents and Ginny thought so, but she was just a girl who loved to study and was curious about everything. If that curiosity had helped keep her and her friends alive that was all to the good, right. She knew that her knowledge that allowed her to make the expansion charm certainly helped as did several other things. Her left forearm itched uncomfortably and she shifted some, rubbing her scar with the palm of her hand to relieve the pressure. It was getting warm up here and she kind of wanted to sit down.

This was not something she had ever asked for; she had never pursued an accolade such as this and really what had any of it gotten her? Pursued like an animal for months, scarred, tortured, petrified, bloodied, hurt time and again, all for the privilege of standing there in front of all those people who had no true idea what she had gone through for what? For this? For these people who thought she was a second class citizen? She caught Ginny’s eyes and the girl was looking at her worriedly. Those compassionate brown eyes made her check her thoughts and realize where they were going, how they were spiraling, made her realize that she was gripping her left forearm. Ginny mimed deep breathing and she followed along, letting the breathing help calm her and her jangled emotions, allowing her to give a bit of a smile.

The applause startled her a little as did the presentation of the award. She smiled as genuinely as she could manage at that moment and once the noise died down followed the other two down and back to their seats. Once she was seated, Ginny took her hand, squeezing it, which helped her nerves settle even more. The room hushed again. “One more thing before we go outside to see the monument to the victory here at Hogwarts that we will dedicated to those fallen heroes, also during those closed sessions of the Wizengamont it was decided that the wealth of the dead and prosecuted Death Eaters would be put to use. After much debate it was decided to split the collected wealth in fourth. One fourth shall be given to the Ministry, one fourth to Hogwarts, one fourth to those who fought here or the families of the fallen and by a unanimous decision the remaining fourth is to be divided amongst the Golden Trio for their years of service to the wizarding world.”

The room again burst into applause but a number of people both students and parents alike were just sitting in their seats, stunned by that revelation. Hermione’s head was reeling, just how much money was that? There had been some very wealthy families involved in Voldemort’s forces and if all of that wealth that hadn’t already been used had been collected and divided… she practically swooned at that realization. She had gone from being a poor student with great prospects to a wealthy student with great prospects. Harry braced her from the other side and smiled at her nervously, shrugging at her as if unsure what to say. This was another thing they hadn’t planned on. Ron looked as if he had been hit in the head with a Troll club, eyes unblinking and mouth fallen open, gaping at the Minister.

“Thank you all and let us give all our heroes our heartfelt congratulations and thanks with a warm round of applause.” If anything the noise got louder, shaking the room with its intensity.

When they stood, Ginny came over and hugged Hermione, “Congratulations ‘mione, you totally deserve it. It couldn’t happen to a better person. Good job Harry. Congrats Ron, I always knew that you would make something of yourself.”

Ron blinked and then it looked like he finally realized that he had indeed done something that no one else in his family had done, given that he had an Order of Merlin, First Class and was a recognized hero of their whole world. That caused him to grin broadly and say, “Thanks Gin. You didn’t do too bad yourself.”

Ginny then asked tentatively, “Friends?”

His face clouded a little, as his high dropped a bit as the memory of earlier intruded on his happy thoughts. “Not yet, just give me time.”

“Okay.”

He congratulated Harry and then went off to find his parents. Harry draped an arm over Ginny’s shoulders, hugging her gently, “It’ll be okay Ginny, he’s in pain right now. I know it wasn’t easy but you guys did the right thing in telling him but it had to have hurt. He’ll get over it, he always does and then everything will be back to normal. You’ll see.”

“Thanks Harry.” Ginny smiled faintly, hugging him back.

Hermione’s parents found their way up to where she was standing, her mother giving her a big hug. “Congratulations sweetie. We are so very proud of you. The Headmistress explained to us that this is like getting the Victoria Cross or the Order of the British Empire.”

Her dad snickered, pulling her into his arms and said, “I suppose this means that we need to start calling you Dame Granger from now on.”

Hermione glared at her dad. Sometimes she just wanted to smack him like she did Ron and Harry. “That’s not funny.”

“Sure it is. I think it’s plenty funny.” He grinned at her, clearly pleased with his joke.

Her mother patted her father on his arm almost pityingly, “Of course you do dear.”

Ginny and Hermione giggled at this.

“Martin, Patricia, so good to see you!” called out Mr. Weasley as he made his way over with his wife.

The fathers shook hands while the mothers hugged in greeting and then Molly descended on the girls, hugging them tight. “Congratulations girls.”

“Thanks Mum. It just sort of happened, you know.” said Ginny with a shrug, downplaying everything.

“Yes well, I am so proud of all my kids.” replied Molly, giving her daughter an extra squeeze.

“So now what are we supposed to do?” asked Mr. Weasley, looking around the Great Hall curiously.

“We’re supposed to go outside for the monument unveiling and then there are some refreshments before it is time to go.” replied Hermione from memory, very familiar with the schedule since she was one of the people who put it together. She had even dreamt of it a few times. At the odd looks she got from some of the adults she said, “What? I was the Student Liaison who planned this. I worked with Percy to make this whole thing happen, so of course I know the schedule by heart.”

“Well everything has been wonderful Hermione.” said her mother. “Was it you who made all the arrangements for the non-magical parents to come here?”

“No, I just reminded Percy that it would need to happen, especially you two and the Creevys. There were others who needed to be here as well but those were the ones I knew absolutely had to happen. I told Percy that I would hurt him if he didn’t get that arranged and taken care of personally.” stated Hermione.

Everyone laughed at that, despite the fact that Hermione hadn’t been joking. She really had threatened Percy if he hadn’t been able to make those arrangements happen. Percy had actually looked a bit shocked and cowed, given that his mother had trained him to fear and obey women that strong.

“Well, let’s go then and see this monument. I am sure it will be special.” said her father.

Ginny fell behind with her as they trailed the rest of them as they headed out and asked, “Are you doing okay? You didn’t look all that great up there on the stage for a little bit before you started breathing properly again.”

“I think I need some potion and then maybe I need to skip the monument for now. This whole thing has been a bit too overwhelming for me.” Hermione’s smile was weak as she was feeling fairly drained at the moment, as her energy felt so sapped that she almost wanted to fall over. Her emotions had been all over the place today and if she went outside it would only get worse.

“That’s fine. We can make that happen.” said Ginny kindly. “Topsy?”

The House Elf popped up next to them, looking up at them attentively. “Yes Miss Weezy?”

“Can you get Hermione one of her small bottles of calming potion and some pumpkin juice, please?” asked the redhead politely.

“Of course Miss Weezy.” She vanished and returned shortly, handing those things over before vanishing again.

Hermione tossed down the potion, with the usual face at the less than pleasant taste all medical potions seemed to have, and then had some of the juice to wash away the tang with its thick flavor. The potion’s effects were quick and she could feel the tension and anxiety she had been feeling building up start to drain. She sighed, the band of tension around her chest loosening. “That’s better.”

They walked out of the Great Hall and spotted Harry off to the side being held by Luna, out of sight from most people. From the way his shoulders were moving it seemed as if he was doing about as well as she was with all of this. Hermione headed that way and cleared her throat, hoping to get his attention, “Harry, I was just checking to see if you had any single doses of calming draught with you.”

His voice was thick as he answered, not turning to face them. “Uhm… no. I didn’t think of it.”

Luna gave her a look of thanks as Hermione got Topsy’s assistance again to provide Harry with one of her bottles. Harry thanked her before he drank it down. It was clear that he was having some of the same issues she was and the two girls walked on, leaving Harry in the more than capable care of Luna, who had been stroking his hair and back gently, doing the same things that Ginny often did for her. They didn’t speak as they moved to the area where the refreshments were set up, grabbing a few snacks before they moved off to one of the windows that looked out over the grounds. They talked about inconsequential things, anything to help Hermione stay relaxed and keep her mind off past events, especially the reason there were all those names carved into the monument. That was helping her unwind from the emotional turmoil she had been in until Cameron found her.

“Hermione, there you are. Thank Merlin.” He seemed a bit worried and slightly frantic.

“What is it Cameron? Is everything okay?” Hermione felt a bit on alert, worried that she might have to rush off and solve some problem. She checked her wand and scanned her surroundings unconsciously.

His frown made his answer to that last question clear which did not make her feel any better. “Remember on the train when I told you about how my House had some issues with how they were treated before the battle?”

Hermione felt a feeling of dread creep up her spine, cold and animalistic. This was giving her a sense of impending doom and that was the last thing she needed today. “Yes.”

“Well, now thanks to the Ministry and those damn Orders of Merlin and that money for everyone who stayed and fought, I think it just got worse.”


	33. Chapter 33

Thirty-Three

Despite Cameron’s very real concerns about the Slytherins and their justified anger nothing had happened since the Celebration of the Victory against Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Since the warning, she had been on her toes and all the Prefects had been briefed to be even more on guard, because it was very likely that some of the other Slytherins would be irritated over the slight. Hermione could even sympathize with their concerns to a degree. The more she thought about it the more she had to say that it honestly wasn’t their fault that Pugsly Parkinson was a stupid slag and so worried about her own bloody safety that she had been willing to sacrifice Harry in a heartbeat which in turn made her whole House seem to be on the same page as her and Voldemort. Granted there was the fact that Pansy had obviously never even thought past the ridiculously obvious fact that once Harry was gone what was going to deter Voldemort from coming in to the school and doing whatever he wanted to whomever he wanted. Yes she was worried for herself like any sane person would be in that situation but because that’s where her thinking stopped she didn’t see the consequences of that action and how it cost everyone else. Because tensions were running so high, and there had been enough Slytherins that had supported the Carrows and had worked as their enforcers, the whole House had been booted rather than for the defenders to take a chance on those who might have actually wanted to protect the school.

And now they were dealing with the further fallout of Pansy opening her bloody trap. Because of her there had been potential wands taken from the defense of Hogwarts, which might have saved lives and their removal, no matter how well reasoned it was at the time, was now fueling attacks by a group of angry students. And if that weren’t enough now more dissent was formed thanks to a well-meaning but short sighted move by the Ministry. Sure those awards had been earned the hard way but it seemed time and again like the Ministry did not think of the larger issues involved. How the hell were she and Cameron going to fix this complete disaster? How were the teachers going to do it? It all seemed to be a bit too much to deal with and made her want to scream a little. Taking care of yet another seemingly insurmountable problem… did she have a sign on her forehead or something saying that she liked to do that, that it was a hobby?

If she could catch the bullies and stop them, then maybe she and Cameron could calm things down before the tensions between the Houses rose back to prewar levels again. As it was going it would end up with everyone versus Slytherin and it would be a slaughter. Fundamentally, it wasn’t Slytherins fault that it was the House that held most of the blood purity idiots and the supporters of Voldemort. All that told her was that it was the House where the supposedly cunning had hitched their wagons to Voldemort, hoping for greatness and power in the end. It must have been a terrible shock for those power hungry bigoted idiots to discover that their precious Dark Lord didn’t share power with anyone. When she had seen the Malfoys right after the battle they looked horrible, worn down, haunted, as if they hadn’t slept in weeks, looking almost as bad as she and Harry did. After those years of peace and some of them starting families, things had to have been a revelation for so many.

Hermione shook her head. That was enough ruminating on things she couldn’t do anything about right now. She remembered what that could lead to if she let it go on for too long and certainly wanted to avoid it. That level of stressing out did not hold any real appeal for her. Maybe she needed to go see Ginny and see how she was doing? With the game against Ravenclaw later today Ginny was really psyched and filled with all sorts of nervous energy that had her a bit agitated. While she had actually slept, when Ginny awoke she had bounded out of bed and had started moving about the room like a crazed thing. It had been exhausting to watch. Hermione had needed to get away from her after breakfast because Ginny’s constant frenetic movement had been making her a touch motion sick and was doing something unpleasant to her anxiety. It was safer to be elsewhere while her love calmed down enough to think straight. Hermione had never really seen Ginny this bad and it had her worried.

She pulled free the Map and hunted down her girlfriend amongst all the other moving figures. It took her a little bit, as she had to scan wide swaths of area, but from what it looked like her girlfriend was pacing down in the Great Hall. There would be no one in there since it was between meals so it probably was a good place for her to vent some of her excess energy. So long as she didn’t tire herself out too much before the game it should be okay. Hermione could understand why Ginny was nervous since it was her girlfriend’s first match as Captain of the Gryffindor team and she was taking her position very seriously. Not Oliver Wood seriously, because Hermione wouldn’t actually stand for that level of crazy, but seriously none the less. It was unsaid, but they both knew that the Headmistress was interested in seeing how she was going to do as the head of the team. And it would be interesting for a number of reasons.

There were a number of new players on the Gryffindor team, primarily because some of the better players had graduated or had not returned to the school for one reason or another after the war. There had been some attrition in all Houses thanks to the war but the Gryffindor team had been hit harder than any of the others. Ginny hadn’t had to start the team from scratch, but with a new Chaser, two new Beaters and a new Seeker, Ginny had been working very hard to turn them into a team, let alone something to be reckoned with. From everything she had seen Ginny had been fighting an uphill battle.

Hermione had learned enough about the game and how to train for it thanks to reading Quidditch Through the Ages and the book on the Harpies, even grabbing a few books of Ginny’s more specific books on game tactics that she had browsed, to know that taking a team this green and winning anything would be a difficult feat for anyone to pull off. It had become clear that Ginny had her work cut out for her. From what she had seen in the first match between Hufflepuff and Slytherin, those two teams were actually quite good in their play style. They had even trained up their few new players pretty well and did not have massive gaps in their skill levels. The only hope for the Gryffindor team in today’s match was if Ravenclaw had sort of lost some of their edge somehow, and since they did have two new players it was possible that such was the case, especially since one of them was the Keeper. A new Keeper in their first actual game could be a definite liability if you could figure out a way to unnerve them. With a toss of her head, Hermione had to chuckle at herself, when had she actually gotten into this ruddy game enough to know all of this stuff so comfortably, let alone think about it on her own without any real prompting from Ron or Harry? True, she was no Ron who could have tossed off stats, history and the like for which she was very grateful. She did find it rather hysterical how much Ginny was corrupting her in their short time together whereas Ron had failed to corrupt her like this in over six years of active trying. Ah love, it was so powerful, so evil.

She walked past the double doors and sure enough there she was, her Ginny in the Great Hall pacing around, looking like she was fairly frazzled and somewhat sick to her stomach. Hermione’s heart went out to her love, this really couldn’t be easy. There was a lot of stress on the Captains and on Ginny more than most. In a lot of ways this game was kind of like one of the NEWT exams of her Professional dreams and she was going in with a team of mostly new and untested players. She could see where it would be like taking a test without studying beforehand and it only made her more empathic for her love’s problems, not less. Hermione walked closer and held her arms open invitingly, “Oh Vixy… come here.”

Ginny paused in her pacing, turning slowly in place, and spotted Hermione standing there, ready to hug her. The redhead’s smile was weak but it was still there and that really let Hermione know how bad this had gotten since her girlfriend had left the room earlier that day. Maybe she shouldn’t have escaped the nervous pacing if it could have helped her love avoid this state. Ginny strode over there and grasped Hermione tightly to her, crushing her girlfriend to her in a very Molly Weasley-esque hug. Hermione didn’t really mind and hugged back, trying to take in little sips of air as best she could with her ribs so compressed. She ran her hand down the girl’s hair, whispering soothing words to her with what air was available for that purpose, knowing that was what was most important. If she could calm down her girlfriend things would be good.

The death grip loosened and Hermione was thankfully able to get more air into her lungs. That was a pleasant sensation and she tried not to make a big deal out of it, even though her body wanted her to. Fundamentally it was of no consequence, making sure Ginny was okay was far more important. “Hey now… there is no reason to be this worked up Love. You will be great today. I am sure the team will be fine.”

Ginny shook her head no, her face still down in Hermione’s shoulder.

“Gin, what’s wrong? If you don’t let this out and let me help you relax some then you’ll never be able to play in this state. I want you to play at your best so please share how you’re feeling with me. What’s going on Vixy?” Hermione was getting more and more worried about Ginny, seeing how emotional she was. Something strange was going on with her love and she had no clues to work from. It had to be connected to the match but outside of that she had no idea what it could be.

The voice that answered from her shoulder was small, weaker than she had ever heard it before, weaker than when Ginny had opened up to her about Fred, weaker than when Gin had come to her that one summer nervously asking for help in attracting Harry. Her girlfriend was almost curling up protectively around herself nestled tight inside her arms, almost sounded as if she were hurt inside somehow and it almost broke Hermione’s heart to hear it. “I’m… I’m scared ‘mione.”

“Hey now… what does my brave little Vixen have to be afraid of? You have stood up against some of the foulest things this world could throw at you and you are still standing. You are one of the bravest women I know and I admire that about you. It is one of the things I love about you. So what scares my love?” Hermione tightened her grip as she kissed Ginny softly on her temple.

“The match. McGonnagall told me that a scout for the Harpies was going to be here today and I… I just can’t stop freaking out over it. All I can think about is that I’m going into the most important game I’ve ever played with a team that isn’t ready.” Ginny fidgeted some and Hermione rubbed her back to calm her down, scritching her back lightly with her short nails.

“That’s wonderful Ginny. I’m so excited for you. That means that they can see what the rest of us already know, just what an amazing player you are. All you can do and all you need to do is play your best and motivate the team to play its best. The rest will take care of itself.” Hermione was trying reason on her to see if that was going to help calm Ginny down. It would be a disaster if Ginny played a game this important in this state.

“I know. I keep telling myself that but Hermione… this is a scout from the Harpies, the Harpies! at our first game of the year after we fought in a bloody war against a rutting madman with a team that can barely find its own feet with or without magic! How the hell am I supposed to be ready for this?” Ginny pulled back and looked at Hermione and her girlfriend’s brown eyes were wide in her panic.

“Love, if you are going to impress this scout and show them what all the students here know, that you are a brilliant player who is more than ready to play professional Quidditch right this very moment, then you need to calm down and breathe. You can do this. I know you can’t take a calming draught as it would affect your game play far too much but if you could I would totally give you some of mine if it would help. How about some chamomile tea? That might take the edge off your anxiety but not hurt your game play?” offered Hermione, thinking back to some of her earlier Herbology lessons. Professor Sprout had covered the simple uses of herbal teas in their first year, things that many muggles already knew about common plants all while they were still getting used to the nature of plants in the magical world. She had never forgotten those lessons.

Ginny nodded, seeing the wisdom of the suggestion. Hermione led her over to one of the tables where they sat down, facing each other. She laid a hand on Ginny’s cheek and stroked it briefly with her thumb before lowering her arm and calling out, “Topsy?”

The House Elf that had been assigned to her arrived with a slight pop and asked, “Yes Miss Grangy? What can Topsy do for you?”

“Thank you for coming Topsy. I was wondering if you could get Ginny here some chamomile tea to help with her nerves?” asked Hermione politely, smiling at her house elf.

“Absolutely Miss Grangy.” She vanished and then reappeared shortly with a cup of steaming fragrant liquid resting on a saucer. “Here you go Miss Wheezy. Feel better.”

“Thank you Topsy.” That concern from the House Elf seemed to help Ginny some.

The House Elf smiled and looked slightly embarrassed with the thanks she was getting from both Hermione and Ginny. “You’re welcome Miss Wheezy.”

After Topsy left and the two girls grinned at each other, Hermione fluttered her eyes at Ginny and said in a worshipful voice, “My Wheezy!”

“Hush up you!” Ginny pouted a little and sipped her tea while Hermione giggled at the slight blush on her girlfriend’s cheeks. It was clear that despite everything that Ginny had enjoyed that.

“You know I will do anything to help you relax.” said Hermione honestly.

Ginny looked suddenly interested in that notion, perking up quite a bit. “Wait what? Anything?”

Hermione blushed a little, knowing some of the ideas lurking in the redhead’s mind as she often had similar thoughts herself. Ginny was nothing if not creative which was a trait that Hermione certainly appreciated. “How about anything within reason, especially this short before a game?”

“Spoilsport.” teased Ginny, sticking her tongue out.

“Well, perhaps that can be your victory reward, the better you play the more… fun we can have afterwards. Just so you know… I finished that section of the book and… well, let me just say that I have some lovely ideas for passing the time. The fact that someone already invented the spells I needed for those particular purposes has saved me so much work.” Hermione smirked lustily and winked at Ginny.

The grin on Ginny’s face increased, as her mind fell even deeper into the gutter, if it were even possible. “Well my love, you have certainly provided me with an alternate thing to think about before the match. I play well and then you try out things from that book you keep teasing me with. I think I like your system of barter.”

Hermione’s eyes sparkled playfully as she said, “Well… I don’t know… seeing as you are actually younger than me, I wouldn’t want to, you know, corrupt your poor innocent mind with my dreadfully perverted ways.”

Ginny goggled at her as she spoke and then started laughing. Her laughter grew so loud and strong that the redhead bent over and eventually fell off the bench, barely able to control her fall. She was rolling on the ground, kicking her legs in the air, which gave Hermione a very lovely view of Ginny’s lucky game panties, the girl all but gasping for breath. This was a sight she really was enjoying. Who knew that helping Ginny feel better would result in a show? When Ginny finally had some air back in her lungs, she gasped out, “Hermione Jean Granger, corrupter of innocent minds!”

That started the redhead off again.

Hermione rolled her eyes. Ginny was clearly no longer distressed now but at what cost. This was, while a lovely sight, not a very dignified position for her girlfriend. She glanced down at the amazingly clear view of Ginny, the way the material of her Gryffindor panties tightly cupped her pudenda and ass that she knew she had to do this. It was honestly too good to pass up. Quickly she leaned down and swatted her girlfriend’s muscular butt with a good deal of force, getting a good contact and a nice sound. Ginny yelped in surprise and pain, bounding to her feet, rubbing the sore spot. Hermione affected her best McGonagall as she said, “Are you done oversharing yourself with anyone who has eyes to see?”

Blushing brightly, Ginny said, “What? What you said was really funny.”

“I know Vixy and thankfully no one saw anything and we all know I enjoyed the show you gave me. But I figured there was no reason for you to overshare with anyone else. They haven’t earned the privilege. You’re mine after all Weasley.” growled Hermione possessively.

Ginny smiled at that, “You know… I kind of like this possessive side of you.”

Quirking an eyebrow, her thoughts racing with all the interesting possibilities such a phrase could imply, Hermione replied, “Do you now?”

Grinning in answer, Ginny came over and hugged Hermione before kissing her. “I do indeed. I happen to think that it makes you even sexier if that were even possible Kitten.”

Trying not to moan after Ginny bit and sucked on her earlobe, Hermione focused on speaking as her eyes fluttered from the pleasure, “I believe I said after the match Vixy.”

Snickering, Ginny kissed Hermione’s cheek and leaned back. “Yes, yes you did. And trust me, I will hold you to that Miss Granger.”

“Did you need to get ready?” asked Hermione, trying to get her mind off the notion of ravaging Ginny long into the night. Ginny was always so much more aggressive and playful after a workout she kind of wondered what it would be like after a game. There really were some interesting spells in that book that she was so looking forward to trying out.

“Uhm… yeah, now that you mention it I guess I should. You probably should get ready as well. I wonder if Luna is going to wear her lion hat today. I love that thing.” commented Ginny.

Hand in hand the two of them headed upstairs towards the Gryffindor Tower. Once in their room, Hermione watched Ginny change with a blissful look on her face, pleased with the sight of Ginny taking off her bra and then putting on a muggle sports bra which her mother had bought for Ginny over the summer. Once her girlfriend was fully dressed in her Quidditch uniform with the exception of the pads, Hermione blinked back from lust filled sight to regular awareness and simply grinned at the redhead who shook her head at Hermione, amused.

“I’m going down with the team so we can talk last minute strategy and such. I have a few ideas about how we can win this match but it is going to take some clever talking to get some of them to believe it. See you after the game love. I am really looking forward to our own celebration.” They shared a passionate kiss that hinted at just how good the victory celebration would be later that night.

“See you Gin, play smart.” said Hermione, calling out to her love. She really did love how good Ginny was at kissing. It simply took her breath away.

“Always.” Ginny closed the door behind her with a confident grin, winking at her girlfriend as she did.

Hermione lay on her bed looking at the ceiling and grinned like a fool. Her life was so good right now and despite all the other issues she had going on, she really had very little to worry about. She was healing even if it was slow going and things were looking up over all. Then there was the fact that she had literally found the girl of her dreams, which was also a huge plus. Getting healthy and being in love, life really was good.

She shook her head and sat up. This was not really the time to be daydreaming about such things. She needed to gather up her things, like her jumper, coat and knit hat as it was going to be somewhat cold and windy out there. Unlike Luna, she was happy to show her support for the House team through less flamboyant means. Of course, the fact that she was wearing one of Ginny’s extra uniform tops was less than subtle to anyone who saw it but it wasn’t like she was going to be wearing just that in this weather. It was certainly cool enough that bundling up was the important thing to do. However, wearing the top made her feel closer to Ginny which was why she was wearing it.

Once back down to the common room, Hermione spotted Simon sitting with the girls in his year. She headed over to where they were all huddled around a small table chatting and then asked, “So Simon, I take it you’re going to go down to the game with your lady friends?”

He looked up at her then over at the girls, who seemed very expectant of his answer to this question. Their looks made him blush a little and get a touch flustered, making him look down at the table top. “Uh… yes. We went together last game so I thought this time I would go with them.”

She beamed at him, so happy that he was making friends amongst his year mates. So what if it wasn’t what most boys his age would be doing, hanging out with all those girls. It was kind of the opposite of what she had done and that was perfectly alright. After all it’s not like she could say that turned out badly. He was happy and these girls seemed happy to have him around so all was right in the world. If only the other boys in his year would really interact with him. That would make things even better. She gave him a quick hug and then said, “Have fun and I’ll see you at the match. I’ll tell Luna that the reason that you’re not coming with us is that you’re going with your girlfriends.”

“Hermione!” Simon sounded truly scandalized and his face was bright red. He was looking at all the girl’s faces to see if they were offended.

The girls were laughing and making kissy faces at him, giggling mightily as his red color darkened. Hermione shook her head as she walked away laughing as well. Yeah, Simon had found some really nice friends who had embraced him for who he was and really seemed to enjoy his company, liking him for him and drawing him out. It was really nice to see the boy more chatty and interacting with more people. She walked out of the portal and after saying goodbye to the Fat Lady, headed towards the Ravenclaw tower so she could pick up Luna.

When she reached the corridor with the door to Ravenclaw tower she spotted Luna leaning up against a wall, wearing her lion hat waiting for her. She looked over at the curly haired girl with her usual dreamy smile, “Hello Hermione. Are you ready to go down to the game?”

She grinned at the eccentric blond and said, “Absolutely Luna. I am looking forward to watching Ginny play.”

The two of them headed on down the stairs, chatting happily about her relationship with Harry, classes, and sharing a little chuckle over Simon and his girls. “It is rather funny to think that all evidence shows that Simon is more of a ladies man than Harry ever was. Of course, he could have gotten most anyone in the school, even a few of the boys, to drop their knickers for him if he had just asked you know.”

“Really Luna?” Hermione seemed surprised by that statement. The idea that her best friend Harry was _that_ attractive to the overall population of the school was a strange notion. He was just Harry after all, the slightly annoying little brother who would do anything for his friends and those he saw as family. They saw each other as family, especially since those days during the Horcrux hunt when it was just the two of them alone against the world. It was where their already deep friendship effectively turned to something more akin to siblings than anything else. She knew that messy, clumsy, humble boy who would fight off the world for his family was there for her, just as if they had been raised together. So, it really was a bit odd to think of her “brother” as someone so sexually desirable to a majority of the school.

“Absolutely. I heard so many girls pining over Harry for years that it was rather silly. I have heard lots of angry rants about you and how you were keeping him from their loving hands. Thanks to my date with him to Slughorn’s party I actually had even more of my things stolen from me as a result. As if their anger and spitefullness would make Harry care for them or make me like him any less.” stated Luna, her eyes rather dreamy as if she could look back and see their date.

Hermione pulled Luna into a hug. “I am so sorry that you had to endure that. I know all about bullying and how bad it can be. I wish we could have done more to stop that.”

“It’s okay Hermione. I knew that if I really needed the help you would be there. I had friends then, I have friends now. I had Harry then, I have Harry now. Clearly their endeavor to keep us apart failed most spectacularly. If they had spent more of their time studying for classes as opposed to bothering me with their petty jealousy issues they might actually be in a better place for their NEWTS as opposed to lagging so far behind us.” Luna smirked slightly. “Besides they are all so infested with Wrackspurts that they probably now qualify as colonies.”

The snort Hermione gave was less than dignified and actually hurt her sinuses a little. The whole notion was pretty funny the more she thought about it.

“You know, the Chang Memorial Colony has done very well from what I’ve heard. It is apparently being used to help with rebuilding the Wrackspurt population. They have had great success with their breeding program.” Luna said dryly, no smile to give away anything that she was feeling.

Unable to resist, Hermione just started laughing out loud, tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes. The very concept Luna was putting forth was just too messed up not to be funny.

“Honestly Hermione, viable long term Wrackspurt colonies are no laughing matter. These things must happen if the species is not to die.” Luna eventually broke into a wide smile, unable to maintain the serious look on her face any longer.

“Oh Merlin Luna… that was priceless. God… the Chang Memorial Colony… we have got to tell Ginny that one, she would love it. Harry might enjoy it as well.” Hermione one arm hugged the blond. This was another of those times where the blond girl was just too adorable for words. If it weren’t for Ginny and if Luna weren’t straight, they could be wonderful together.

“Well, while it’s true that Cho’s head is just packed full of wrackspurts on a long term basis, I’m not sure we can officially call it a breeding colony.” stated Luna seriously.

Hermione felt like she was being wound up some more but went along with it anyway knowing that Luna had to have a reason for this. The girl almost always had some sort of strange logic behind the things she said, “Why’s that?”

“I don’t think they have a flag.”

Hermione rolled her eyes and shoved Luna lightly. “Prat.”

Luna smiled blissfully at Hermione and they linked arms as the two of them exited the school into the brisk October air. There was a stream of students headed down towards the pitch, wanting to see the match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. There was a lot of excitement about it due to how dominant the Gryffindor team had been for the last few years thanks to Harry and Ginny’s playing but this was a different team and things could prove to be very different this year. Hermione was a bit curious about something and asked, “So, do you think people will give you any grief for supporting Gryffindor?”

“I think not. They never cared about me doing so before so I don’t see why they would start to care now. Besides, it’s not like my House has really supported me.” replied Luna rather dispassionately.

Hermione gave the girl a hug. “Well you know us Gryffindors support you.”

Luna’s only reply was to make her hat roar, getting some attention from the students walking towards the pitch, mainly from some of the younger years who were staring.

Once in the stands they found themselves some seats that would give them a good view of the action and got settled. The rest of the school arrived and soon the stands were full of excited students and teachers, with even a few parents in and among the crowd all clamoring excitedly. Hermione knew that this game was going to be interesting because of the strategy that Ginny had come up with, which sounded crazy to her but had to admit that Ginny knew what she was talking about. Since the Gryffindor Seeker was so new with barely enough experience to really be a challenge for the other team, they were not going to count on them catching the snitch for the win, but rather by getting more points scored than the Claws. It was an ambitious and aggressive plan given that the Ravenclaw team had so much more experience on their side. The fact that their Keeper was green was their biggest advantage in making this plan work. That was the weakest link in the Ravenclaw team after all.

From what she had been told, Ginny was planning on a total blitz, on aggressive, almost reckless flying, especially on her part, in order to get the advantage and hold it for as long as it took. Ginny now had the fastest broom on the field, faster than the brooms of either of the Seekers, thanks to her birthday present from Harry. Hermione was worried but knew that Ginny was an amazing player and would be able to handle the broom to maximum effect. She knew what she was doing. Tonight’s victory celebration would be so worth it since Ginny would be buzzing from the win.

The players came out of their locker rooms to loud cheers and fanfare, each team taking their warm-up laps to a veritable wall of noise. She had no problem picking out Ginny as the red hair in a braid was a bit easier to spot than the black mop of Harry’s had been. Thankfully all of her girlfriend’s play would be down closer and somewhat easier to see as it would be all within the same general area. Sometimes watching Harry play as Seeker was so boring and really not all that interesting to watch until he spotted the snitch. Then it almost always made her stomach drop and her heart jump into her throat as he defied magic, logic and physics to catch that damn thing. She was okay with not having to watch that anymore as she wasn’t sure her heart could take it. Ginny’s play as Chaser was a good bit more engaging since it was a certainly a bit more dynamic but also worlds safer. Certainly less death defying.

Hermione could tell something different was going on when the game started and Ginny practically exploded from the ground, snatching the quaffle from the air almost before anybody moved as she launched herself skyward, exploiting the acceleration of the Firebolt perfectly. She blazed downfield and scoring a goal passed a stunned Keeper who apparently could not believe how fast that had happened. The Gryffindor stands erupted in cheers for that but Hermione was a bit concerned. Ginny was not usually so wild or aggressive in her style of play. True that was what she said she would have to do in order to have a real chance of winning but hearing it and seeing it were clearly different things. She took Luna’s hand and squeezed it tight.

While the Ravenclaw team was nominally better there was something about Ginny’s strategy that seemed to be keeping them flatfooted at every turn, unable to take advantage of any of their opportunities. The three Chasers play was hyper aggressive, even the new one, striving to intercept passes and then shooting towards the opposite goal like a bullet. They started flying straight towards the Keeper before passing the Quaffle to someone following at the last possible second before they had to pull up or dodge to avoid hitting him. While it was a technically legal strategy of play it was not really a very nice one. It was obviously seriously unnerving the new Keeper as he was getting sloppier and sloppier as the game progressed making it easier on the Chasers to get shots past him and through one of the three rings.

This tactic that Ginny had come up with was working rather well for them, as the Gryffindor team was easily outscoring Ravenclaw at least five or six to one. The Gryffindor Keeper was working very hard to deny passage of what few shots came towards her and was playing amazingly; actually a touch better than Ron but that might simply be this match and the smaller percentage of shots on goal. Regardless of the reason, they were playing great. But above all, Ginny was something else, playing like something out of this world. Hermione knew that Ginny was phenomenal on a broom but this display of flying prowess was at a whole other level. The majority of the Gryffindor points were thanks to her and the others were often thanks to assists by her. The Ravenclaw Beaters were now focusing on her a good bit more and were barely missing her with their shots as she was moving so fast thanks to the Firebolt. Hermione’s heart was in her throat almost worse than when she watched Harry play. At least that boy was generally safe until her did his insane dive after the Snitch; Ginny was in the thick of things. She understood what Ginny was doing and it made sense, it really did and she kept telling herself that. This particular tactic really was the only way to compensate for a new and green Seeker who would win thanks to sheer luck rather than any skill on their part but it was scaring the life out of her.

“Ginny is doing quite well.” commented Luna rather calmly.

“I’m going to kill her.” murmured Hermione, her hands now clenched tightly in the fabric of her jacket as they were unable to close around Ginny. Her eyes never left the redheaded streak that was blazing over the pitch.

Luna rested a hand on her shoulder, “You know Hermione, from everything I’ve heard, killing the one you love is not usually a helpful response to a high stress situation.”

“Not helping Luna.” ground out Hermione, gritting her teeth as Ginny dodged around a Ravenclaw Chaser and ducked a Bludger as she chased after the Quaffle.

“And there goes Dewhurst, I think he’s seen the snitch!” cried out the announcer, making people look skyward. Hermione instead kept her eyes focused on the woman she loved.

Ginny sped forward snatching the quaffle from a long forward pass between two of the Ravenclaw Chasers and began racing towards the opposite goal. She was dodging around the Chasers attempting pursuit, maneuvering her way closer to the three rings. It was another virtuoso example of flying and she was handling the high end broom as if it were nothing. She was almost there when Dewhurst began stretching out his arm for the golden ball, a short distance away from victory. The roar of the crowd grew until it became an absolute cacophonic wave crashing over everything. Both she and Dewhurst were juking back and forth towards their individual goals, each drawing closer towards their aims moment by moment.

Finally in the position she wanted to be in, drawing back her arm, Ginny feinted right and threw left, the ball leaving her hand just as both Bludgers finally found her. One impacted solidly at her hip and thigh, just over where she was seated on the broomstick. The other Bludger slammed into the back of her head, driving the Gryffindor Chaser from her broom, making her topple forward, falling head first towards the ground below.

Hermione’s world stopped, and she barely heard anything else as she watched the love of her life begin to plummet earthward. She barely registered bounding to her feet, her hand shooting out, stretching forth her arm until it ached, almost as if she could catch her tumbling love, and calling something out with a tear filled voice. All she saw was Ginny falling in slow motion towards the hard earth, the red of her hair tainted with a deeper color as it seemed as if everyone else around her erupted into cheers of victory.


	34. Chapter 34

Thirty-Four

Hermione groaned. Her head hurt, the pain pulsing with her heart rate and she felt drained, wanting more rest except she wasn’t exactly sleepy so why was she lying down? What was wrong? She was on lying on something soft so it had to be one of the beds in the Hospital wing. What else could it be? It was the only thing that made sense. Opening her eyes to confirm that she was where she thought she was, Hermione noticed that it seemed to be sometime in the late evening. A few of the lights were bright in her eyes and she squinted, as the lights were hurting her head. She grumbled as she sat up and looked around the room, her head spinning slightly making that a bit difficult. What had happened to her? Why was she in the hospital wing? She couldn’t remember anything happening that would explain this but then again her head felt a bit wooly. The longer she was awake the easier it was to think and the pain in her head faded. Knowing vaguely that something major had to have happened for her to end up in here, she rubbed the back of her neck and looked around even more to see if there were any clues about. When she spotted Ginny laying in a bed rather still a few places away from her and much closer to Madam Pomfrey’s office, she gave a start of surprise and called out, “Ginny!”

It all came back to her in a rush of memory, the game yesterday, her flying, the Bludgers, the fall… oh God the fall! Hermione’s heart fell and she felt a bit nauseous as her fear for her love made her stomach lurch. Hermione stood; she needed to get closer to the girl she loved in order to touch her, to make sure she was okay. Her head spun and the world began to grey out slightly. She had to grab the end of the bed as she struggled to remain on her feet. She grew lightheaded and she was struggling to remain standing as she grew woozier, her hands clutching the bed frame tightly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, trying to get the head spinning to stop. It was sort of working and annoyed her. There was no time for this; she had to get to Ginny.

With a bit of effort she made it slowly around the beds clutching to the frames as best she could until she was next to Ginny’s bed. She sat down heavily into the wooden chair, making it creak slightly under hear weight. Eyes closed as she fought back the new wave of nausea that threatened to wash over her and empty her stomach. Swallowing that down, she opened her eyes and looked at Ginny. Her girlfriend looked so fragile there in the bed, under the blankets, as there was pain etched on her face even in sleep. From the presence of the bottle of Skele-grow sitting on the end table next to the bed, she was sure that Ginny would be fine, at least her bones would be at the very least. However the biggest source of her worry was the fact that Bludgers were made of iron and were ten inches in diameter and traveled pretty fast. They were essentially cannonballs that they played with. Her love had been hit twice by two cannonballs traveling at a pretty fast rate of speed from different directions. Another wave of nausea hit her and she had to swallow her gorge again.

And on top of what could only be a severe head injury after that Bludger slammed into her, she fell from the same height as the tallest goal as she had been shooting downwards towards one of the side goals. All she could really remember clearly was the impact and then the fall and the sheer terror that ran through her when she watched her love plummet to what she had been sure was going to be her girlfriend’s untimely death. Reaching out a hand, she brushed a hair that had fallen into Ginny’s pale face off to the side and felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. Her love looked so broken and it hurt her so much to see that. Ginny wasn’t that weak at all and so this image of her was amazingly disturbing.

Hermione was aware that she had been relying on Ginny’s strength for a while now in order to ensure that she could get through her days but it was just so easy as the girl was such a source of strength and solidity in her life. She felt so loved and cherished thanks to the girl that there was no way she could doubt how her Vixen felt about her. There was no night where she went to bed without having been told how much she was loved or how beautiful she was and often both. There were no vagaries of the heart to deal with for which she was thankful. But she had taken Ginny’s strength for her own strength, using that support to help her stand and face the world when things had gotten too tough for her to stand on her own. Hermione was aware that this was not the best plan she could come up with but it was the one she had followed. So long as she had Ginny there with her it became simplicity itself to face anything that rose up in front of her, as she knew that someone always had her back, always was there to support her or in the event that something went badly to catch her if she failed. That made her brave even on days when it felt like all courage had been cut from her body.

But now… now her rock, her safe haven was lying battered on a bed in the Hospital Wing. As she was thinking about it she realized that it was doubtful that Ginny had taken the Skele-grow yet, knowing that Ginny would have to drink it on her own. Well, maybe there was a way to do it when the patient was unconscious but if there was she knew nothing about it. Besides, from what she knew, head injuries always took precedence over broken limbs. If there were any swelling or some other issue with the brain and the Skele-grow fixed everything a bit too well it might cause more trouble than it would fix. She wasn’t exactly sure as she had only learned the basics of magical first aid in preparation of their Horcrux hunt, knowing that such knowledge would be necessary. However this was well outside her realm of familiarity in the subject and she was scared. What she didn’t know about the subject was actually important.

Her only hope for Ginny’s safety was the fact that if she were here at the school the damage couldn’t be that bad, because if it were surely Ginny would be in London at St. Mungo’s instead. Madam Pomfrey was not one to mess around with health issues so that was a positive sign. She would have taken Ginny to St. Mungo’s at the first sign that her injuries were outside of her range of skills. But that didn’t mean that the whole situation her girlfriend was in wasn’t serious. Madam Pomfrey was a Senior Healer after all despite being simply the School Nurse and after dealing with years of Harry’s misadventures and the recent collection of war wounded, she was very well versed in trauma healing. If Ginny were here and breathing she was going to be okay. Right? She was going to be okay. Hermione kept trying to convince herself of that fact.

Taking hold of Ginny’s hand lightly, she bent over it, and began to cry. It hurt so much to see her like this, broken, hurt, looking fragile and wan. The tide of her emotions was too strong for her to block them out. With the pain clear on her face and Hermione’s understanding of how bad that accident had been, to Hermione, her girlfriend barely looked like herself and all of this was tearing her heart out more than she had been ready for. She almost choked on her voice when she begged desperately, “Gin… please Gin… don’t leave me. I’m not sure I can do this without you. I need you love. Please.”

Crying quietly for a few moments as her internal pain welled up inside her filling the farthest reaches of her, Hermione tried to breath in, the air hitching as it moved into her lungs. She was so torn up over this and she felt like she was being tossed about in the wind. If only she knew how Ginny was really doing then her fears could be assuaged. “I’m so scared Gin. After getting hit you fell. You fell and I…” She swallowed thickly, her throat wanting to close up on her as her heart was aching so much that she was not quite sure what she should do. There was so much she wanted to say to Ginny and she didn’t know if she would be able to speak, to be able to say the things she meant and felt. “You have to get better Vixy. Come on baby, I need you.”

Tears were falling onto pale, freckled skin of Ginny’s hand and Hermione held in her sobs as best she could. It was difficult for her not to give in utterly and wail there next to the girl who held her heart. She had felt so incomplete, so fragmented inside, more so after Malfoy Manor than before, until that night back in August when she had awoken held safely in Ginny’s arms. Since that night back in August Hermione had felt reborn, practically a literal coming back from the dead as she had felt so destroyed inside and feeling truly alive for the first time in her life, her emotions seemingly unlocked by that simple act. All of that, all of those feelings and all of those marvelous experiences like the sex, the flying, the pranks, all of it could be laid at Ginny’s feet. This was the girl of her dreams, the girl she had seen night after night for years but hadn’t been able to make out clearly who it was, probably from fear of the truth and her insecurities. This was the girl who had awakened that truth in her as she had already been searching through the wilderness for what would make her whole and had been surprised that Ginny had been it. This was the girl who had set her free with a hug and a kiss now lying ashen and wounded on the hospital bed, taken down by the sport she dearly loved. It was so unfair.

“I need you baby. Please baby… please. Come back to me.” Her words were getting overcome by her emotions, making it harder for them to force their way out her mouth. She simultaneously felt both numb and rent asunder by the grief, unsure what to do. It felt like all she could do for her love at this moment was pray. “You are my love and I do not want to go on without you. Please Vixy… please.”

The hand she was holding was still, limp, and the only movement on the bed she could tell was the slow, rhythmic rise and fall of her girlfriend’s chest. It made her feel insane, like she was falling with no end in sight. She wanted, needed to see Ginny’s beautiful brown eyes looking up at her, to lose herself in their depths again, to see that slight smile because surely she would not take their time together for granted any more, not after this. No, not ever again. She would hold tight to those precious moments she had with Ginny with all that she had. It was all that really mattered to her at the moment. Nothing else was important. Nothing at all but her love.

“I love you Ginny. I love you so much. I have never felt so special as I have with you. I need for you to get better okay? I need that, desperately need that. If… if you don’t get better than…” she swallowed down her panic again, which was rising up to strangle her. This girl right here, this girl was the one from her dreams… why should she fear that? Why should that fact scare her? She so wanted to take a risk, take a leap of faith, of love. “…how can I ask you what I need to ask you?”

Hermione reached out and lovingly stroked her girlfriend’s face with her free hand, not even paying attention to the tears trickling down her face. The burn of salt from the tears was ignored as she spoke, tears spattering on her chest. “I want to… no I need to marry you Ginevra Molly Weasley. I need you as my wife, as one of the mothers of our children and if you don’t get better how can we do that? I want to spend the rest of my life with you building a family and watching our kids grow. What could be better than that? So you need to get better damn you!”

She tried to smile but it wavered on her face weakly. This confession was helping get her thoughts in order but that didn’t make watching her girlfriend lie there any easier. Telling Ginny this while the girl was unconscious was a bit liberating but did nothing for her lurching heart. If only her mother were there to hold her, tell her everything would be okay, and provide her comfort while she was so hurt by this, so afraid of what might happen. “Vixy, you have to wake up and come back to me. Please.”

With a trembling body, she rose to her feet slowly, fighting off the dizziness, and leaned over the bed, kissing Ginny on her forehead and then on her lips, trying to ignore the fact that her kisses were wet with tears. She brushed a hand down Ginny’s cheek gently, trying to smile bravely. “I love you baby… you need to get better for me. Please.”

“Miss Granger!”

Hermione looked up and over at Madam Pomfrey, startled by the woman’s appearance at the end of the bed. She hadn’t heard nor noticed the Nurse walking towards her.

“Please sit down on that bed. Now!” It was clear that the Nurse was brooking no argument from her, not that she had the energy to fight against her. Besides sitting down had a certain appeal at the moment.

Hermione sat, some of the tension and wobbliness fading and looked at the older woman, a bit stunned really. What had she done wrong?

“Really Miss Granger, there was a reason you were put in a bed. If you had simply waited for me or had called out I could have come and checked on you and then helped you over here safely, instead of having you risk falling over and hurting yourself.” chided Madam Pomfrey, quite upset with her.

“Sorry Madam Pomfrey. I was just worried about Ginny and needed to get over here to her,” said Hermione, rather cowed by the Nurse and accepting the scolding.

“That’s fine Miss Granger and I did expect that, but taking a risk and possibly hurting yourself in the process is not a smart plan. You know better than that. You need to take care of yourself first before you can help anyone else. I would have thought you might have learned that maxim by now.” The older woman’s voice was far kinder now as she looked at the younger girl fondly.

“Is… is she going to be alright?” Hermione’s voice shook as she asked the question. This was the thing she most wanted to know and she was a bit frightened by the answer.

“She should be fine. I have her hip and thigh stabilized for now so they won’t cause further issues. They were broken with the hit there but thankfully it was a simple set of breaks and easily fixed. A quick sip of Skele-grow should have that right as rain in no time. The head injury is more troublesome issue however.” replied Madam Pomfrey, turning away from Hermione and quickly checking on Ginny.

“What about her injuries from the fall?” asked a very worried Hermione. Given how bad Ginny had been hit, the fall should have done a good bit of damage, making everything worse.

“There were no injuries from the fall.” The Nurse said with a knowing smile.

“There weren’t?” Hermione was very confused by this. That didn’t seem at all possible from everything she knew and remembered. A fall from that height could have easily killed Ginny since she had been already injured.

“Don’t you remember dear?”

“Remember what?” This was not helping Hermione’s confusion and was only ramping up her worry. What was she not remembering? What had happened? Everything was blurry and vague after she had watched Ginny getting hit. She did not truly recall the details of the end of things, her mind instead rerunning the moment of impact ramping up her fears. How had this happened?

“You apparently cast Aresto Momentum on her as she fell. Ginny reached the ground safely with no further injury. It was an impressive feat of magic. What you did probably made all the difference and saved her life.” explained the Nurse.

“I did? I don’t remember doing that or even getting my wand out. I only remember her fall.” said Hermione in a bit of a daze. Had she really cast that spell? There was no memory of that at all, not even a hazy recollection.

“From what Miss Lovegood reported, you had to have cast the spell wandlessly and silently. If you were panicking at the time, which is probable, it is quite reasonable that you would not remember the details of everything that had occurred. Panic does affect memory. It is also a wonder however that you would be able to focus enough to cast that spell wandlessly in the state you were in.” said Madam Pomfrey, trying to help Hermione understand what had happened at the match.

Hermione nodded a bit absently, her mind on things other than her wandless casting. It was great that there was no additional damage caused by the fall but that did not quell her worry over Ginny’s overall condition. “That’s good. So if she didn’t take any damage from the fall, how is her head?”

“If she weren’t a Weasley I am certain the Bludger would have caused more damage. As it was, it hit her quite hard in the back of her head doing plenty of damage. She lost consciousness almost immediately upon impact is my guess, especially due to the angle and force. There was some fracturing of the skull but not deep or expansive and there was also some localized bleeding. What does concern me is that there is some swelling in there that I have been dealing with, giving her some potions to deal with the problem as well as using some spells that can help reduce the pressure. This is a somewhat common injury in Quidditch, at least the single injury to her head, though it is more often seen in Professional matches than in games here at school. She has the first head injury of its kind in over ten years actually but I am aware of the current treatment protocalls of all Quidditch related injuries by heart. Once Mr. Potter began his career at Seeker it was only prudent to become well versed at the possible injuries. It may take her a few days to recover enough for me to discharge her but she will ultimately be fine. The only concern I can imagine having is how she is after she wakes up.” Madam Pomfrey was explaining all of this to set Hermione’s mind at rest and to give her the information that would serve to calm her down. It was working to a degree but the additional information was also fueling her worries, just less than it would have if she had not known any of this.

“Why?” Hermione nervously gripped Ginny’s hand, completely unaware that she was doing so. She needed the comfort even though it was barely there.

“It is because sometimes due to where the Bludger hit her that particular type of damage could affect a person’s ability to speak and see. It has something to do with how the brain is structured. This is not a guarantee nor is it certain that such an injury has occurred. These are simply problems we won’t be able to determine the diagnoses for until she is awake and able to answer us. If that is indeed the case she will be sent to St. Mungo’s where there are specialists in these kinds of injuries who should be able to help her more than I would be able to here. That is the only worry I have about this kind of injury.”

Hermione choked up upon hearing that. Was the Nurse for real? Ginny could possibly be blind and/or mute because of this particular sport injury? She gripped the girl’s hand tightly, afraid for her girlfriend. They whole mess was only building on her fear instead of removing it.

“Don’t worry Miss Granger, there is no need to panic as that is a very rare possibility and seldom happens. I feel fairly confident that Miss Weasley is going to be just fine. Her treatment for these issues started very quickly after the trauma occurred and she is doing quite well, seeming to be healing from all of this damage nicely. Those are both good indicators for her prognosis. You should just rest and relax, trying to let your stress go as she will be asleep until sometime tomorrow at the earliest.” concluded Madam Pomfrey with a faint smile, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“And you’re sure she should be alright? You know, once she heals?” asked Hermione, trying to keep from panicking over what she had been hearing. It all sounded so terrible and so unknown. Just when she thought her love would be okay some other difficulty reared its ugly head and gave her cause to freak out. And the worst part is that she wouldn’t even know about it until Ginny finally woke up and Madam Pomfrey was able to check on her. This was unacceptable.

“Everything I know about healing says she should be quite alright Miss Granger. Just relax and rest some more, she should be fine.”

With an absent nod, Hermione let herself be coerced into the bed next to Ginny’s as Madam Pomfrey was concerned with the combination of fainting and putting a strain on her magic due to the way she had cast that spell. That would explain why she was so tired and the idea of sleeping more did have an appeal. Her only worry was how she would sleep without Ginny in her arms. The Nurse came over and handed her a vial of some potion, the look she gave her insisting that there really was no other option available to the Head Girl but to drink it down. She nodded in acceptance and drank it down as fast as she could to reduce the taste, realizing that the draught she had consumed was probably Dreamless Sleep. That would be good as the last thing the young woman wanted right now were nightmares when she didn’t have Ginny next to her to chase them away. If this was the best she could get in this situation then she would certainly take it. With a last look at her love, Hermione lay back, blew a kiss towards her redhead, closed her eyes and drifted asleep.

HGHGHGHGHG

She had been up for a while and even eaten breakfast. Thanks to that, she was feeling much better for the additional sleep that she had gotten as she was well aware that without the potion she would not have slept. The potion had done its job and she had gotten some restful sleep despite what should have been a night full of nightmares about Ginny’s injuries and her inability to help. Now she was sitting in the chair next to Ginny holding her hand and waiting with her heart in her throat, desperate for her love to wake up. More than that she wanted her to be okay, to wake from this debacle and be fine, with no brain damage from that Traumatic Brain Injury due to the Bludger. And what was worse though, was she was positive that this incident would not dissuade Ginny from wanting to play professionally even remotely. The girl would once again hop on her broomstick and risk major injury to get her rush. Truth be told, she couldn’t honestly blame her. Ginny was absolutely amazing on a broom and she flew pretty much like Harry, that crazy no holds barred approach that traumatized her at least once a game, only as a Chaser which seemed a bit more complex. It was ridiculous.

Hermione had barely tasted breakfast or lunch even, as she had been mostly focused on her girlfriend’s every breath or twitch, hoping that they were signs that she was waking. This whole situation was maddening and she was at a loss for what to do. Just after breakfast Luna and Simon came in and sat with her, keeping her company on her vigil which she greatly appreciated. Simon sat close to her and was hugging her frequently which made her smile gently. He really did have a knack for making her grin. “Is Ginny going to be okay?”

Hermione swallowed heavily and answered, praying that she sounded surer than she felt, “Madam Pomfrey said she would be.”

Luna smiled gently, hoping it would comfort her and said with surety, “Then you should believe her Hermione. Doubting the wisdom of an expert is folly. You know that already.”

“But I am so terrified Luna. She was hit really hard in two places and that couldn’t be good for her. I’m just worried that she’ll still be all there when she wakes up and remembers me. Those kinds of hits could cause amnesia as well as worse things.” Hermione’s voice trembled as she said that. She was having a difficult time holding back her fears from overwhelming her again. All it took was a glance at Ginny’s still pale face and she would slip back towards despair because her grip on hope was too tenuous. Her stillness made her think of Harry when he had been carried into the courtyard and that was more than she could bear.

Simon hugged her tightly again and they sat for a while longer in companionable silence. After a while they left her to her own tumultuous thoughts.

The rest of the team showed as well, a bit later, giving the unconscious girl wishes for improving health and to drop off some chocolate for her when she woke up. It seemed as if they were all almost as concerned as she was. What surprised her was when the two Slytherin Beaters who had inadvertently caused this disaster showed up to offer their apologies and well wishes for her healing. Hermione thanked them and went back to her silent post, holding her girl’s hand and rubbing the back of it with her thumb, struggling to control her tears.

A good bit later a soft groan snapped her out of the daze she had been in and she felt a tightening of the hand she was holding. Her heart leapt with hope and her focus on Ginny sharpened. The grip wasn’t as strong as usual but the clutch was there and was real. Hermione wanted to sob with relief, even though Madam Pomfrey had reassured her last night that Ginny would be fine, watching that hit and then the fall… it had made her feel so helpless. But now, this here was what Hermione most wanted, her love coming back to her. Brown eyes fluttered open and a voice asked kind of feebly, “…’mione?”

“I’m here love.” The relief in her voice was almost palpable, a living breathing thing. She wanted to crow in happiness but restrained herself until she had a better idea of how her love was feeling.

“…head hurts.” said Ginny, her eyes opening and closing slowly, as if she was having trouble focusing.

“That’s because your head’s not as hard as Ron’s Vixy. If you had a head more like your brothers then you would have been fine.” teased Hermione gently, trying to keep from crying. She could feel the building wetness at the corner of her eyes and she squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to stop it.

“Oh… make sense.” Ginny sounded a bit dazed from all the treatments she had been given and some of the sounds from the words slid together. “We win?”

“Did we win? Did we win! Ginevra Molly Weasley, you wake up in the bloody hospital wing after getting hit by both bludgers at the same time and then falling to the ground and your only worried about if you won the stupid match?!” Hermione’s voice grew a bit strident and shrill as she said that. Her rant had come out without her control as her emotions ran off with her.

Ginny winced at the noise, trying to move away by pressing her head back into the pillow. “Ah s’rry. …loud.”

Hermione immediately looked very contrite. Of all the things she had wanted to do after Ginny had woken up, hurting her love’s battered head was one of the things farthest down the list. She reached over and brushed her hand gently over Ginny’s head, avoiding the injury spot. “I’m sorry Vixy. I didn’t mean to be that loud. I’m just worried about you and scared.”

Ginny smiled drowsily, her eyes half lidded and having difficulty focusing on her. “Sorry. Di’n’t mean… scare you.”

“That’s okay. I’ll try to be quieter. And to answer your question we did win, 190 to 180. Your final goal kept it from being a tie. The Quaffle made it through the right hoop just moments before the Snitch was caught.” Hermione rolled her eyes at the contented smile that crossed Ginny’s face. “If you hadn’t gotten hit it would have been perfect.”

“Good.” sighed Ginny, her eyes closed in pleasure. “Good.”

“Good? How is your getting hurt so bad it puts you in the hospital wing good even if we did win that bloody match?” asked Hermione, kind of wanting to strangle Ginny right then, despite the girl being hurt. Honestly, sometimes her girlfriend made her so crazy and there didn’t seem to be any end in sight. “You sound like Harry.”

“… ‘s good ‘cause players got game s’perience and we win. Th… tha’ good thing.” Her words were clearly a bit slurred and somewhat hard to understand. If she wasn’t paying attention to everything her girlfriend was saying she wouldn’t have been able to follow it. That fact brought tears to Hermione’s eyes. The slurring had been the one thing she had been hoping wouldn’t happen. Did this mean that Ginny was hurt really badly, hurt in the way that she had been told about last night?

Before Hermione could say anything else Madam Pomfrey walked up to them with a concerned smile and asked, “Well now Miss Weasley it’s good to see you awake. Feeling better?”

“…head hur’s, hip too bu’ ozzerwise I okay.” admitted Ginny, fighting to keep her eyes open. She was clearly a bit out of it and only partially awake.

The School Nurse waved her wand over Ginny, casting a diagnosis spell and then studied the results closely, nodding her head in satisfaction. Hermione was on tenterhooks as she wanted to hear what was going on. “Right, things are healing fine Miss Weasley but I think another day in here will help even more. I will have to see how you are doing when the pain relief potions wear off before I decide if you are ready for the Skele-grow.”

Ginny blinked a few times as she processed that, obviously having some trouble focusing on the words. “Wha’ day s’it?”

“It is Sunday. You were unconscious for almost twenty hours since you’ve been hit.” replied Madam Pomfrey. “The earliest I will let you go is tomorrow afternoon, depending on how things are healing and how you are reacting to the treatment. That blow to your head was rather severe and if Miss Granger here had not managed to slow your fall then you might still be unconscious or more likely, in St. Mungo’s.”

Ginny looked over at Hermione in question, which made Hermione blush a little bit. She knew that her girl wanted answers. “I don’t remember doing it but apparently I cast Aresto Momentum wandlessly and silently while I was freaking out. Luna told me that I sort of shook and collapsed unconscious after you got to the ground safely. I don’t really remember.”

Squeezing her hand Ginny said, “Than’ you K’tten.”

“No problem sweetie. How could I have done anything else?” Hermione was struggling to hold it together, knowing that breaking down right now would not be helpful. Her girlfriend just kept slurring her words and there was some difficulty understanding her. It was making her heart ache. “I’m just glad that I was able to do something.”

“My…” Ginny swallowed and winced from the pain, her brows furrowed. She opened her eyes again, gazing right at her. “…hero.”

Rolling her eyes at that, Hermione squeezed Ginny’s hand and looked over at the Nurse who cleared her throat, drawing attention back to her. “Thank you. Now Miss Weasley, I have stabilized your broken hip and thigh, immobilizing you from the hip down for the moment and I can’t give you the Skele-grow yet as I want the swelling in your brain to go down a bit more before that. All this means that tomorrow morning I can probably give you that and you should be right as rain in a short while. You are making good progress which makes me happy. Now let me give you a few more potions which should help speed up your healing before you fall back asleep. That’s what you need most.”

Not having any recourse but to agree with the Nurse, Ginny smiled slightly, not quite a grimace from pain. She drank down the three potions she was handed, making faces after each drink, and then her eyes seemed to be growing heavier. Her blinks were growing longer and she was struggling to say something. Hermione leaned down closer and asked, “Yes, what is it baby?”

“Stay?” The request was soft.

“I’m not going anywhere Gin.” assured Hermione, feeling her eyes getting wet and her vision blurring some.

“Good.” Ginny’s voice trailed off as she seemed to drift off back to sleep.

Hermione started crying even more when she could see that her girlfriend was back asleep. Ginny’s slurring voice, that sign that her love wouldn’t get better after she healed. Her love was crippled, taken out by the sport she loved, so dearly loved. It was patently unfair, for her to have survived the year in Death Eater’s Hogwarts, the war and now to have this happen. It wasn’t right but she knew that there really was no way she could protest. She leaned down and kissed Ginny on her forehead, pausing there with her lips against smooth skin, hoping that her tears did not fall into her face. It didn’t matter whatever happened it didn’t matter because she was going to stay with her girlfriend forever. This whole mess neither changed her love nor the realizations that she had about her. The truth was still the truth even it were a little brain damaged.

Madam Pomfrey returned from her office and looked very concerned over Hermione’s state, asking, “Miss Granger, what’s the matter?”

“Nothing. Everything. This thing with Ginny. She’s… she’s not going to get better is she? This damage has permanently affected her like you mentioned last night, hasn’t it?” asked Hermione, looking at the Nurse with worry etched on her face as she frowned.

“What? Oh no Miss Granger, I am certain that Miss Weasley will be fine. The slurring that you were hearing is not the indicative sound of the damage I was talking about last night. Miss Weasley’s words were actually far too clear and only got clearer as she spoke more. That was a very encouraging sign and made me feel much better about her prognosis. My guess is the majority of the slurring was from the potions she had been taking and that’s all. There is no need to fear for her health. She’ll be fine.” Madam Pomfrey replied, trying to help Hermione feel better over this mess.

Hermione sagged in relief, her body draining all that stress in a rush. Her tears redoubled and she asked hopefully, “Really?”

“Yes really Hermione. She will be just fine.” The Nurse rested a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

Hermione started trembling as she began to cry aloud, sobbing a little. Ginny wasn’t going to be brain damaged due to the Bludger hit. Her girl was going to be fine and all would be well. Madam Pomfrey took Hermione in her arms and held her close, while the witch shook with tears. “She’ll be fine Hermione. She’ll be just fine.”


	35. Chapter 35

Thirty-Five

Even after Ginny was finally released from the Hospital Wing after a few days it took her a while to really get back up to speed, as she had been severely injured and it did have a lingering effect. She was moving slower and her head ached a good bit. Naturally the girl still ran Quidditch practices but did not participate at least not through the rest of November and into early December. Hermione was a bit grumpy about that particular fact but knew better than to try and stop her. Ginny was okay, that’s what she kept telling herself, so long as she really didn’t push herself too much she would be fine. The problem was that this was Ginny they were talking about, so of course she kept pushing herself farther and farther.

Hermione was frustrated that she had not seen or heard anything more from the Slytherin bullies as this was a problem she really wanted to fix. It sadly figured that they were the only smart Snakes of the bullying kind she had heard of and that they would keep their heads down for a while right when she was most interested in stopping them. While it had been over a month since she had almost caught them they were still keeping their heads down and playing it safe. She wished this whole mess were over and done with but doubted she could be so lucky as to stumble on the perpetrators in the act with them unprepared. The tensions between Slytherin and the other Houses were still growing thanks to this mess and the Ceremony, just as Cameron had predicted, though thankfully no fights had broken out. Apparently news of her intervention had spread and had cowed people. The only thing that Hermione could think of to do to help with this was to tell the Prefects to not be as harsh on the Slytherins as they might want, as that might help deescalate matters and make the Slytherins feel less persecuted. She made it clear to all of them that if something major was wrong than to still go after them as needed but to otherwise try to go with warnings if at all possible unless they were Snakes that had happily colluded with the Carrows.

Mostly she, Ginny and Luna were both deep in the work of preparing for the end of term tests. The Trio seemed to be well and truly on top of everything study wise and were even trying to help Simon and his bevy of beauties with their classwork. They knew that tests were going to be mock NEWTs and Hermione certainly hoped she was going to be ready for them. These pre-NEWTs were supposed to help point out a student’s weaknesses so that they had plenty of time to correct them. She knew that her stress was better than it usually was during test run up but she could tell that she was getting a bit short with people and a bit insane with her study needs. It was taking focus and a few more potions to fight but she really was worried about Ginny. Her girlfriend was still getting occasional headaches and bouts of weakness but it really wasn’t like it had been that first week back. She was doing better but Ginny was still pushing herself far more than she should which concerned Hermione to no end. The last thing she wanted to have happen to her love was for her to fall over and hurt herself because she was doing too much.

It had her very concerned and Ginny generally blew her off when she stated her worries. It was irritating her to no end when Ginny did that and she kind of wanted to tear her hair out but what could she do? The girl wouldn’t listen to her, insisting that she was actually fine for the most part when Hermione was sure she needed to rest and let herself fully heal. Didn’t Ginny know that all she was trying to do was take care of her love the way that Ginny took care of her? She was just trying to show her the same degree of consideration, care, and love. So having that concern thrown back into her face time and again really grated on her. Did she really deserve that?

Hermione was just tired of all this stupidity and needed to find some sort of way to deal with the mounting stress. This was not a good thing and she knew what would happen if she did not cope with it. It was not a thing she was looking forward to and was actively trying to avoid it. As an attempt to battle that stress she was walking through the halls of the castle, trying to get rid of the nervous energy she was feeling because it certainly was not helping her mood. Her temper was rather close to the surface and it was taking more effort than she was pleased with to keep from snapping at everyone. She had never been this… well mean was the only way she could see it. Outside the first real winter storm of the season had descended on Hogwarts and the wind was currently howling around the castle and sleet was falling in curtains. Tomorrow everything would doubtless be coated in a layer of ice and it just might be pretty if the sun shone to reflect off it, but thanks to the weather her desire to go out and take a walk to go visit Hagrid, or perhaps head down to the lake was simply not an option. That left the stone halls of the castle as her only option for mindless wandering with the same paintings and tapestries she had seen year after year, to the point where they were almost invisible to her now. Her mood was not helped by any of this as all of this served to remind her of too many things that upset her. Right now she desperately wanted to run into those Slyterin idiots so she could pummel them for a while to make herself feel better about life and to reduce her stress to far more manageable levels. It’s not like she would kill them or anything, just educate them as to why upsetting her was not in their best interests. She was so irate that she kind of felt like Harry had Fifth year, angry at the world and wanting to snap at most anyone.

This was one of the rare times where she did not have Ginny, Luna or Simon with her and in a way it felt a little surreal to be walking through the halls of the school all alone. She was consciously avoiding certain sections of the building as they still gave her painful memories, like the large staircase where she and Ron had been pursued by Nagini, or the various spots where some of their friends had died that spring. Those areas still affected her; the morbid memorials were carved into her memory just not as strongly as they had been before. That was something she was utterly grateful for since she had to walk past those spots on occasion. Sadly, that knowledge was only slight comfort as she walked through the nearly silent halls, the faint echoes of distant voices bouncing down the stone.

She was walking with no real purpose or aim, just letting her feet take her where they will. There was no design, nothing but her thoughts and her distracted wandering. She soon came to a stop at the base of the spiral stairs that led to the top of the Astronomy Tower and she gazed up them. She remembered the last time she had been here on her own like this, feeling a bit cut off from her own happiness due to forces outside her own control. At the time it had been when Ron had been all entwined with Lavender, snogging her as if his life depended on it. The display had been stomach turning and heart aching. Harry had found her there morosely practicing her spells, some of the more obscure and difficult ones, and had been in the process of cheering her up when those two had burst in, looking for a place to snog in private and perhaps take their liaison further. She had been so incensed at their intrusion that she had turned the spell she had been working with against him. Ron had deserved those birds attacking him like that. It had served him right as he had been such a huge prat then. And now, now she wasn’t even sure if they were still friends anymore because of who she had fallen in love with. She hadn’t heard anything from him at all since Halloween and Harry’s occasional letters from training that spoke of him didn’t really help clear up that matter. She was still in the dark.

It wasn’t like she had been trying to break his heart on purpose or anything. She had pulled away from him initially thanks to his leaving her and Harry and it had only gotten worse. How did she have any control over her sexual identity or who she fell in love with? Ron had kind of given her the impression that Hermione had gotten together with Ginny out of spite which was one of the dumbest things she had ever heard from him, and considering some of his other statements that he had made in the time she had known him that was huge. She was simply trying to live her life and become the truest version of herself that she could be, was that so wrong or difficult to comprehend? Once she had made that realization on the cold marble of Malfoy Manor while Bellatrix had been happily torturing her, her life had changed so dramatically and completely that there really was a distinct disconnect between her life before having that vile slur carved into her arm and now. Who she had been before had been a girl who had been afraid to see herself as she truly was, preferring the safety of books and peoples notions of her. That wasn’t currently the case and it was liberating. It was kind of funny now that she thought about it in a sick stomach turning sort of way; Bellatrix had actually done her a great favor by torturing her and carving that thrice bedamned word into her arm. Without that whole event, that singular traumatic experience that still hurt and tore at her, would she have ever taken the risks necessary to become this version of herself? Her life now was so rich, blessed and full of love and of all things she had to thank the most insane and horrible Death Eater of them all for making it happen. The irony was not lost on her.

Hermione was certain Ginny would understand if she explained all that, being able to follow her train of thought and where she usually went with things for the most part. Harry would have gotten it after a little while and Luna would have gotten it in an instant given her intuitive jumps. On the other hand there was no doubt in her mind that Ron would call her utterly daft and try to convince her that she was just being foolish, that there was no way that it could be true. This didn’t make Ron a bad person, not even remotely, it just meant that Ron was not right for her and didn’t really get how she thought. Ron really was a wonderful person when he tried and she did love him dearly however the problem was that he often didn’t try, taking the easy way out a lot of the time and letting his emotions run away with him. There was no doubt he had a lot of heart, more than anyone she knew, but with it came more anger and jealously than she wanted to deal with. What Ron needed was a woman who would be content to be Mrs. Weasley not someone like her who wanted to do… well in all honesty, everything. That sort of disconnect between their desires and modes of thinking would have torn them apart in the end. Luna or even Harry would have been a better match for her, though the thought of her and her near brother together like that gave her a shudder. She just wished she knew of someone who would be a good match for her friend, at least for her part. Ron deserved to be as happy as she and Harry were.

She could faintly hear the howling wind outside, the charms on the windows helping to hold the faint amount of heat inside the castle and to keep the biting cold, wind and sleet out. The sound and the cool temperature really wasn’t helping her mood any. It was much more fitting for a more maudlin state of mind and the current environment was trying to drag her that way to her annoyance. Maybe she should head back to the Common Room, possibly get some hot chocolate and stay warm? It would be even better if she could cuddle with Ginny under the covers, as their shared body heat would make things nice and cozy in no time. They could get to homework and studying in a while. That plan had merit and demanded action. As it moved through her mind she began to smile with anticipation.

Moving away from the window where she had been watching the fall of sleet Hermione left there and she turned her feet towards Gryffindor Tower. It was a little bit of a walk but taking a direct route back would be far shorter than the tinker’s walk she had taken to get here. It had been good exercise and had helped get her mind off things to a degree but now she would prefer getting back to the Common Room without too much delay. She was also growing a bit concerned as to precisely what her girlfriend might be getting up to at the moment since she was currently unsupervised by anyone responsible. Knowing Ginny like she did, the girl was probably doing something she wasn’t supposed to do. It made her want to tear her hair out but there seemed to be nothing she could do to stop her. Why was it that every Weasley she had ever met was such an amazingly stubborn individual who had to do things their way first and often ignored advice that was meant for their own good? Fleur had told her when they had been staying at Shell Cottage and Hermione had been complaining about Ron that Bill had gotten better after a while but that had taken his Curse Breaking work and training up from her to really settle him down. Maybe she needed to work more on getting Ginny trained up to be a proper girlfriend and less stubborn? She had never really been in an actual relationship, not really as her and Ron had not been official, so it wasn’t like she knew how to train her to be a good partner? How would one even do that anyway? The images that ran through her mind at the thought of training Ginny made her blush quite warmly. Perhaps that was not the way to proceed in this instance but based on how her body was reacting to the mere thoughts she was entertaining, it might prove to be fun to try anyway?

Her face was even brighter thanks to that new train of thought as she saw the painting of the Fat Lady ahead. Thankfully she had time for her face to cool some before she stepped inside as the last thing she wanted to do right now was to try and explain why she was blushing so badly to anyone. And she just knew that people would ask because people always did. That was the problem with being one half of one of the popular couples in the House. There really were no words that came to mind for what she could say that would ensure that she was not lying and yet not really say anything. She did not approve of that. However if she remembered correctly as she thought back, there had been some books on that intriguing subject back at that bookstore in London, in fact there had been a whole section of them. Perhaps she should make a trip after graduation and pick up a few? Perhaps even Bondage: A History? She snorted and shook her head. Maybe she should talk to Ginny and see what her girl thought of that particular idea before she spent the money. It sounded like it had potential for some fun but it’s not like she wasn’t blissfully happy with the way things were right now. Their sex life, such as it was, was perfect. Once she gave the password Hermione stepped inside the Common Room and looked around for Ginny. The redhead was nowhere to be seen and that concerned her. Given the time she sort of doubted that Gin was up in the room so where was she? What in Merlin’s name was that girl doing now?

Spotting Simon sitting off to the side doing homework, Hermione went over to where he was and asked, “Hey Simon, have you seen Ginny by any chance?”

He shook his head as he answered, barely looking up from his parchment as he was writing something, “No. I haven’t seen her in a while. I think I heard her say something earlier about going flying for a little bit but that would be crazy… right? I mean the weather it terrible.”

Simon looked up at the end, giving her this worried look, as if asking her that Ginny was alright and had not done this. Clearly she was not the only one concerned about the redhead and what she was getting up to. She wished she could give her favorite first year some assurances but she had none. “I hope not, but some Quidditch players are not even remotely sane” She ignored the few sounds of protest from the peanut gallery. “And no one has accused her of that to my knowledge. If she did go out flying in this bit of an ice storm, we will have words I can tell you that.”

“She’ll get in trouble?” Simon pulled in ever so slightly but it was enough for Hermione to notice.

Reaching across his shoulders she hugged him close to her. She wanted him to know she was okay with him despite being irked with her girlfriend and her reckless ways. His history thanks to his family made his overly sensitive to any possibility that he could be to blame for anything. But she figured if she hadn’t gone after the Dursleys she really couldn’t justify going after the Cresswells. “Hey now, it’ll be fine. I don’t blame you at all. You’re not responsible for any of this because if I can’t control Ginny you wouldn’t have a chance either. I would just be a bit upset with her for her doing something stupid again, that’s all. I still love her and everything and this doesn’t change that but I am grumpy with the way she doesn’t seem to take care of herself.”

Simon nodded, looking relieved. He pursed his lips as he thought about whether he was going to say something or not before stating, “I think that maybe she just wants to go out and do things.”

“I know Simon and I understand that but she is still not completely better and until then she should take it easy or at least easier than she is. When you’re hurt the last thing you want to be doing is making it worse by pushing yourself too hard. All that does is make you need to spend more time healing and needing to rest in order to get better.” commented Hermione, looking towards the Fat Lady, as if that would summon Ginny.

It didn’t and she only got more and more wound up as time went on and there was still no Ginny. She wanted to talk to her girlfriend and see if she was okay but while Hermione was down here in the Common Room she wasn’t about to pull out the Marauder’s Map and have a look. There were some secrets she wasn’t willing to share with everyone yet and that was certainly one of them. Her nervous energy made her get up several times and begin to pace in front of the fire, back and forth, constantly glancing towards the portal, wishing that would summon her girl and of course it did not. Her behavior was attracting attention and she was vaguely aware of this fact but she was growing too peeved to care. She was stuck waiting for the redhead to show and when she did that girl would get a piece of her mind. This whole thing was making her crazy with worry and she did not need that right now. For all Hermione knew Ginny could be hurt out in the sleet and freezing without any way to get a hold of any assistance. If she were unconscious she would be unable to send off her Patrouns to summon aid.

The portrait opened and in walked Ginny, her hair darker than usual because it was uncovered and damp, with little bits of ice hanging from it and her cheeks looked a bit wind chapped and red. She was smiling happily but Hermione also noticed that she was moving especially slowly and shivering some in her arms and legs. Hermione stood and turned to face her girlfriend, hands on her hips trying to contain her mounting anger but it was difficult. Part of her wanted to rush over and hug her freezing girl and another part knew what she was about to do was stupid however she couldn’t believe the ridiculous Weasley idiocy that Ginny was displaying here. Had Simon actually been right? This was so amazingly Ron like and she just did not have the time for that kind of nonsense in her life anymore. “Where have you been?”

Ginny looked a bit confused, as if she couldn’t understand exactly what Hermione was asking, “I was outside. I went for a short flight for some environmental training and toughening until the sleet seriously started coming down harder and then I trudged back up here from the pitch.”

“You mean to tell me that you were actually flying out in this?” Hermione’s disbelief was etched over her whole body, and she gestured towards the window where tiny bits of ice were pelting off the glass.

“Well yeah. I’ve played in worse. You know I’ve played in worse. There was that match in January of my fifth year where the weather was like this, remember? Ron’s hands hurt every time he stopped the quaffle.” It was clear that Ginny was trying to get Hermione to remember the worst times she had been in the air.

“But you haven’t played in this sort of weather coming right off a serious head injury.” challenged Hermione, undaunted as she was trying to get her girlfriend to actually think about things for a change.

“Oh come off it ‘mione, I’m fine. I didn’t do anything wrong today and you know it. Look I went out flying and I didn’t hurt myself and managed to make it up here in one piece without injury as well, so what exactly is the problem?” retorted Ginny, clearly affronted by Hermione’s doubting her ability.

“The problem? The problem?! Honestly Ginevra, you almost died a few weeks ago if you’ve forgotten and you can’t figure out why taking it easy for a few more weeks might be in your best interests?” Hermione’s voice was raising, and her emotions were starting to get the better of her. She was so frustrated with her that she wanted to scream, pull her hair out, and pound on Ginny all at the same time. It would be difficult but she felt up to the challenge.

“I’ve been taking it easy Hermione or haven’t you noticed? God, if you had your way I wouldn’t be doing anything at all, not flying at all, just sitting around and doing nothing but my ruddy homework.” complained Ginny obviously frustrated with this situation, throwing her hands in the air to emphasize her point.

Everyone in the Common Room stopped what they were doing and stared at the two seventh years that were standing there facing off with each other. No one had so much as seen them disagree on anything since the start of the year so this build up and argument was kind of intimidating and out of character for them. One of the Prefects scampered out of the room as other students were slinking out of the line of fire, desperately wishing to avoid being in between those two those two powerful witches if things got worse. And they did.

“That’s not true and you know it. Anyway, you sure as hell shouldn’t be flying around in goddamned sleet! Do you have any bloody clue just how badly that could hurt you, how doing that could screw up your body?” Hermione stalked a bit closer to her girlfriend her hands clenched into fists. She so wanted to slap the stupid off Ginny but kept refraining. It was becoming more of a challenge moment by moment.

“It’s my body Hermione, mine and I know what it can and cannot take. I don’t need you trying to coddle me all the damn time. Merlin, you would think you were my mother the way you are carrying on about this. Yes I got hurt but I got better. I took it easy and I need to get back into shape. I know how to take care of myself.” Ginny was not giving an inch, moving towards Hermione almost as if she were arguing with her brother, her face growing red with anger.

“Then prove it! Stop pushing yourself into exhaustion all the damn time! Stop working so hard that you give yourself headaches! Don’t you see that these are signs that you aren’t better and that you need to slow down! Dammit Ginny you’re only making yourself worse and not giving yourself time to heal!” Red face to red face, she was screaming at her girlfriend with all that she had, trying to get this through the girl’s thick skull with all that she had, hoping that volume and emotional intensity would manage what logic was failing to do. Why was she being so damn difficult?

“I’m fine! How many times do I have to tell you that? I’m making sure I don’t hurt myself when I go and do something. I don’t need you hovering around me all the time worrying over every bloody sniffle!” Ginny’s face was now a bright red and her arms flailed a bit as she was gesticulating wildly.

“I’m just worried about you Ginny!” She leaned in, getting her face even closer to Ginny, her eyes narrowed as she snapped that out.

“I don’t need it!” Ginny did the same thing, yielding nothing. Their eyes were blazing at each other. And their jaws were clenched.

“Fine!”

“Fine!”

“Quiet!” bellowed Professor Cottington, silencing the pair of them instantly. “Why in the name of all that is holy are the two of you arguing like pair of petulant fishwives?!”

The two girls said nothing in response to her query but just continued to glare at each other, fists clenched, and lips pursed, holding back the next round of yelling due to the Professor being there. Clearly that was not going to fly as so the Professor ordered, “You two, my chambers, now. The rest of you, go about your business. There is nothing more to see here.”

The girls stalked off, refusing to look at each other. Once inside the rooms of her bedroom/office in the tower, the door closed rather solidly behind them all, a sort of half slam, shutting out the noise of the whispered conversations behind them and leaving them all in there to glower at each other. Hermione and Ginny were sitting on opposite sides of the room, arms crossed, glaring crossly at each other. It was almost possible to see the smoke rising from their ears and the heat waves between them from sheer anger of their gaze. The Professor rolled her eyes and stood between them, cutting off their lines of sight on each other forcing them to look up at her briefly. She took the chance to lock eyes with both of them. “Now what is going on?”

Neither girl spoke; they just sat back and crossed their arms, huffing slightly.

Professor Cottington closed her eyes briefly as if summoning strength before opening them again, stating, “Perhaps I did not make myself clear the first time I spoke or mayhap you thought it wasn’t an order. Allow me to correct that misunderstanding. Now one of you will tell me what the hell is going on or I will start handing out detentions and they won’t be small ones.”

Hermione glared at Ginny, even though her Head of House and then flicked her eyes away, grumbling out, “We were having a disagreement.”

Professor Cottington snorted in derision at that description of the event. “That was not a disagreement Miss Granger that was most definitely a bloody row. What in Merlin’s name were you two fighting over?”

“She won’t stop hovering over me!” declared Ginny with some heat, joining in on things as she blurted that out.

Before Hermione could reply with her own counter to that argument, Professor Cottington had a palm up facing her, stopping her voice while she faced Ginny. “So she’s hovering over you, is that it?”

“Yes.” huffed Ginny as if that were clearly crime enough.

“So let me see if I understand what you’re saying… you’re saying that you are upset that your girlfriend who dotes on you is worried about your health since you were almost killed in a Quidditch accident? Is that what you are saying? That she shouldn’t be worried about you? That she shouldn’t care about your health and wellbeing?” Professor Cottington had an eyebrow raised in question as she spoke, staring challengingly at the girl.

Ginny soon couldn’t meet her eyes and was soon looking at her feet, shifting in her seat uncomfortably. In a rather subdued voice, she said, “Yes, that’s why.”

“I see. And you, why were you upset?” Turning to look over at Hermione, her eyes also intense and locking the Head Girl in place.

Hermione had been thinking as this had been going on, especially when their Head of House pointedly asked why Ginny had been upset she looked at why she was upset. She had been so worried about Ginny and her girlfriend’s health that she had basically refused to let Ginny look out for herself on her own, acting as if she knew best, like she did with many other things. She was basically treating her girlfriend like a little kid and she knew how bad that felt. That had happened to her for years, as her parents and Primary school teachers had not realized that she was quite capable of looking after herself and doing things her peers were incapable of doing. She closed her eyes and could feel a tear trickle down her face, the enormity of what she had actually been doing striking home. “I was upset because she wasn’t taking care of herself the way I thought she should. I have been thinking that she was pushing herself too hard and working towards ending up back in the Hospital Wing. However I just realized that I am treating her like a little kid and am trying to force her to act a certain way and not simply accepting her for who she is or realizing that she is quite capable of taking care of herself.”

“And you see why what you did was wrong?” asked Professor Cottington gently, her tone no longer harsh.

Hermione nodded, looking down at the floor. She was so embarrassed. How could she have treated Ginny that way? This was the woman she loved and she was acting as bad as Ron had with her at times, making it seem as if he was the one that knew best and that she should defer to his supposed wisdom as opposed to her knowledge. She had never been able to stand that so she knew that there was no way that Ginny would be able to stand that sort of treatment either. Why had she been such a prat? “I’m sorry Gin.”

“Sorry ‘mione.” Ginny was upset but this time for a different reason.

“Now will the both of you talk about this with each other for a change? Clearly you two have some misunderstandings and some worries on this matter that you haven’t been talking about with each other. You may have been talking at each other but certainly not with. You need to stop being idiots and talk. You two are both very smart, two of the smartest in the whole House so when you act like idiots I really just want to smack you upside your heads. I would really appreciate not having my Common Room filled with the sounds of students squabbling like that, are we clear?” asked Professor Cottington, using her gaze in a similar fashion to the Headmistress but only more blatant and brutal but far less cutting and lethal.

“Yes ma’am.” replied both women demurely, shyly looking at each other.

“Good. Now you two go off and talk with each other. That is an order. Now git!” She shooed them out the door and they both made their way up the stairs on the girl’s side in silence, unsure how to start this conversation. Once in the Head Girl room they sat in chairs across from each other and were unsure what to do, what to say, not quite able to look at each other.

When Hermione noticed that Ginny was still shivering slightly she called out, “Topsy!”

“Yes, Miss Grangy?” asked the House Elf when she appeared. She looked between them and grew a bit concerned.

“Can you get us some cups of hot chocolate and a few treats if you please?” she asked politely.

Topsy bowed her head and once she disappeared to accomplish that task, Hermione summoned one of the extra blankets from the bed, stood, and put it around Ginny. “There you go Gin.”

Ginny looked up at her with a faint smile. “Thank you love.”

Hermione leaned down and kissed Ginny on the temple, leaning her forehead against her girlfriend’s as she whispered out. “I’m sorry for being a prat.”

“I’m sorry for being a Weasley.” joked Ginny, chuckling slightly. “You know how stubborn we can be.”

Topsy set down the hot chocolates and a tray of gingerbread on the table and then bowed before vanishing. Hermione leaned back and grinned at her girl as she said, “Yes, I am sadly well acquainted with just how stubborn members of your family can be on a regular basis.”

Ginny picked up her mug with both hands and cradled it close to her chest, clearly trying to hoard the warmth. There was still some shivering and it was clear that she wasn’t feeling all that great because of it. She took a sip and sighed happily. Looking a bit sheepish she gazed down into her mug as she spoke, “I know I am pushing myself ‘mione, but if I don’t how can I ever get better? The only way to get better after something like that is to push through the pain and get back to being fit. That’s why I am doing this.”

“But Ginny, this wasn’t like some of the other injuries that have happened to you while you have been playing Quidditch. This was a very serious injury that could have very easily killed you if I hadn’t managed to arrest your fall. Yes, you will need to push yourself to get back into shape, I am in no way disputing that fact but since you are still healing at this point you need to rest a bit more until Madam Pomfrey gives you the all clear to start exercising for real. I know she hasn’t done that yet and that’s why I am on your case about this. Once she does I will leave you alone on the matter, I promise. I mean, I know you can ignore me by and large but do you really want to cross her?” said Hermione with a faint smile.

“Not even remotely,” grumbled Ginny. “I’m just frustrated. I hate this.”

“Trust me Gin, I understand. The summer after the Ministry battle I had the same issue with my recovery from that curse Dolohov hit me with. That took a while for me to recover from because it had almost killed me and it was rough going for a while because of that. It is the same for you. You are doing right now what I did at the beginning of the year and we both know how well that turned out. Heal first and then get back into shape. It will be easier in the long run. You’ll be good as new in no time. I promise love.” Hermione’s smile was soft and full of caring. She fully believed what she was saying and now realized that she should have said all of this to Ginny earlier instead of acting like Ginny could read her mind or something. That sort of behavior never got anybody anywhere and she knew that.

“Thank you Hermione.” Ginny did look touched by her words and thoughtful.

“No problem love.” Hermione leaned in and kissed Ginny lightly, more of a promise than anything else.

They sat quietly at the table for a few minutes as they drank their coco, still trying to deal with their jangled emotions from their spat and their talk afterwards. When Hermione set her mug down and she noticed that Ginny was still shivering a little she smiled as an idea came to her. This could work to warm up Ginny and go a long way to making amends for being a Ron like Prat herself. She got to her feet and extended a hand, “Come on love, I have an idea that should help you both relax and warm up?”

“Oh? What is it?” Ginny seemed intrigued by this notion and her smile grew.

“Well, if we share a warm bath, you can lean back against me so I can hold you close so that my body and the warm water will serve to chase this cold from your body. What do you say?” Hermione gave a seductive little smile, curling her fingers slightly, invitingly at her girlfriend, trying to draw her in.

The smile on Ginny’s face grew larger and larger as she thought about all of that, and she rose to her feet, taking Hermione’s hand. With a very pleased grin she said, “Now that is quite the lovely idea Kitten. Honestly, given how playful you’ve become lately, maybe Otter might be the better nickname for you, because I know how much you like to be wet and squirmy or me to be that way.”

Hermione started laughing, blushing a little from the implications of the statement, most specifically since she could not refute them. “Merlin Ginny that was terrible. Who have you been taking comedy lessons from, my father? Ron?”

“Ugh… I so do not need to be thinking about either of them right before we get naked, thank you.” protested Ginny. “Please do not kill the mood there Otter. It’s unbecoming.”

“Good point.” Hermione snickered at the new nickname, thinking about how it worked with her patronus and parts of her personality. Leave it to Ginny to think of something like that even when cold and uncomfortable. They headed into the bathroom and Hermione helped undress Ginny, making it into a fun little game, kissing slowly exposed skin as the tub filled with lightly scented water that had curls of steam coming off it. Hermione quickly undressed, tossing her clothes into a pile to the side and once she was done she climbed into the tub, holding her arms out towards her girlfriend, “Come on in Vixy, the water’s fine.”

With a happy grin, Ginny clearly needed no other invitation as she stepped into the warm tub and settled back against her girlfriend, making pleased noises as she could feel Hermione’s breasts on her back. It was a sensation that Hermione found fairly pleasant. She also partially wrapped her legs about Ginny, hugging the girl to her, hooking her heels over the girl’s thighs and then one arm around the girl’s stomach. Once the tub was filled, she used her wand to turn off the faucet before setting it back down on the little shelf that rested across the tub, holding both their wands as well as a washcloth and soap. Both of them remained constantly vigilant as a holdover from the war and were always within a short reach of their wand.

Ginny sighed and relaxed her body. Hermione could feel that shift and it made her smile, bringing her other hand across Ginny’s stomach and linking fingers. Ginny’s head dropped back and to the side. “This is a lovely idea. I like how you think.”

“Thank you Gin. I can’t promise that I won’t keep bugging you about all of this but I will try to get better about it. I know you aren’t being purposefully stubborn about all of this but I’m just worried about you and your health. I just want my love to be with me for a long, long time.” said Hermione, her head leaning back against the tub.

“I know and I am sorry. I promise I will try to stop being a complete idiot about this. I have no idea how successful I will actually be but I will try. You know, there is no way I can do worse at this than Ron.” She chuckled for a few moments before she grew serious again, shifting some in the water. “I love you Hermione. I love you so much and I don’t intend to go anywhere, you do know that, right?”

“I do. But I was so scared Ginny. It terrified me so much watching you fall and I get worried about how you are doing because of it. I love you Ginny. I am so in love with you it makes me crazy.” replied Hermione, sharing her own feelings on the subject.

Ginny turned her head to the side as if she were trying to get a kiss and Hermione leaned back forward to help make it happen. The kiss was awkward but satisfying, and it deepened slightly. Hermione slid one hand lower, to play in the soft hair above her lips. The other hand slid up and cupped a breast, squeezing it softly, fingers starting to move up towards the nipple. Ginny shifted again, groaning softly but not in an aroused manner. Hermione froze and asked, “Are you okay?”

“I don’t think so. I think the warmth is letting my body know just how much pain I’m in. Can we do this later? I hate to stop something I know we’ll both love but I hurt.” said Ginny, with a bit of a discomfited moan.

They kissed with a bit of effort and leaned their heads together afterwards, sighing. Sometimes love was difficult but it was so worth it.


	36. Chapter 36

Thirty-Six

Hermione had everything packed and ready to go. They were going to be leaving on the Express in a few hours for the holiday and she wanted to make sure she had everything she wanted to take home with her all loaded up in her trunk. A lot of her heavy winter wear was going to stay here as the weather in London was quite unlike the weather in the Highlands of Scotland. It was going to be a lot milder for sure and a lot more comfortable down there and she was quite pleased about that. After all the cold and biting winds she could do with a respite. Her school clothes and robes were staying as well, because even if she had to go to Diagon Alley for something, like she had planned, she wasn’t going to be wearing wizarding robes if she could at all help it and certainly not school robes at that. She only had what she needed to change into on the train ride back up to the school at the end of the holiday and that was only because Prefects and the Head Girl had to be in the school uniform when they arrived. It was one of the few school rules that annoyed her. She understood the reasoning but that didn’t help matters.

Ginny was also packed and ready to go so after one last check around the room, Topsy had taken their trunks downstairs where the rest of them were stacked. Since they both knew that as Head Girl Hermione would be busy before the train left with a number of official duties, they kissed goodbye and parted ways as Hermione had to start things off that morning by meeting up with the Headmistress in reference to Simon and the new family he was getting as a holiday gift. She was a bit sad that she was not going to be taking in Simon and his sister but even she had to admit that taking care of the eleven year old Simon was one thing and taking care of both him and his six year old sister was another prospect entirely. She was unsure if she would be able to handle that much work, juggling school and childcare and with the sister only in primary school the whole mess could become a veritable nightmare in no time at all. She simply was in no position to take this task on and she knew it. While it made her sad it was for the best.

Once past the gargoyle, Hermione made her way up the stairs and into the Headmistress’s office. Headmistress McGonagall had clearly finished her breakfast early and was waiting for her arrival, a contented look on her face. Hermione wanted to get this meeting over and done with so she could have her own meal before it was time to go down to the train station. Perhaps getting breakfast first might have been a bit more prudent as it would have ensured she would have gotten one but now was a bit too late to be thinking that. “Ah, good of you to arrive early Miss Granger so we can get this taken care of. Please take a seat.”

“Thank you Headmistress.” Hermione smiled at her favorite teacher she had ever had, sat down and waited. She knew it would not take long for this meeting to get to the point. The Headmistress was not Dumbledore after all and not given to bunny trails and digressions that might meander back to the point at some later point or perhaps allude to it vaguely. Hermione had seen it as his only real failing.

“Now you are aware that you will be escorting Mr. Cresswell from the train and to meet his new family once you arrive at King’s Cross station, correct?” asked Headmistress McGonagall, peering over her glasses, making sure she was paying attention.

“Yes ma’am.” Hermione knew that this was rather obvious but was not about to roll her eyes in front of McGonagall. That was a sure way to get smacked.

“Good. Now from the documents I have been provided by the Ministry, the easiest way to tell who the family is will be by the presence of his sister. If you inform Mr. Cresswell that he is to look for his sister once you walk out of the Platform and into the regular station then this should be a rather easy process. I am fairly confident that he will be able to identify his on sister or at least one hopes.” She had a bit of a smirk on her face.

Hermione was very familiar with her sense of humor and knew this sort of strange manner of doing things was often the way that wizards and witches did things, much to her frustration. That was fine but some of this did seem a bit odd to her. “Okay. That should be fine I just wish there were more information about the family. I mean, this family knows about the magical world correct?”

“I have been assured that they do Miss Granger, otherwise the Ministry would not have placed Mr. Cresswell’s sister with them already. That is all I know about them at this time. Apparently, due to the sensitive nature of child abuse and how some people in our society, especially those Purebloods still trying to hold onto their last vestiges of power could use an incident like this, one where muggles treating even muggleborn children in that abhorrent manner, this has been kept very quiet and very need to know. It has been so held in confidence that I was informed just this morning that the sister would be the only way to identify the new parents. I don’t even know if they are his foster parents or adoptive parents at this juncture. They are really taking the security of this rather seriously. Apparently I will be given all that information after he returns from the winter holiday, so please Hermione make sure that Mr. Cresswell gets there safely and seems to mesh well with them. And maybe even check in on him from time to time over the holiday, to ensure all is fine, as a Hogwarts representative. I do not want the weight of failing another child on my shoulders. Harry is a heavy enough of a burden as is.” It was clear that the Headmistress was less than pleased with the way all of this was playing out as, like herself, McGonagall preferred to know things and have facts and figures, to be much more hands on in the process. Vague facts made her uncomfortable. Hermione could feel for her for that reason and the uncertainty of this whole situation was a bit disquieting especially because it was Simon. This whole situation sounded rather frustrating and was aware that Simon didn’t know anything about this at all yet. She just wondered what his response would be to finding about his new family. There was no doubt in her mind that it would be interesting.

“I think I can take care of that Headmistress. You know that I am rather protective of him and won’t let anything of the kind happen to him.” She smiled at her, chuckling softly. There was no way that she would let anything like what happened to her brother in all but blood while he had lived at the Dursley’s happen to Simon. She would not allow it.

“That you are my young lioness. I am very proud of you Hermione. Despite all of the challenges and misadventures you have faced just this school year alone, you have done some great work. I am sure you will have no problem graduating with your usual high honors. And just let me know when you want to get together in order to discuss your future plans next term. I am rather interested in that conversation and am keen to hear what sort of things you are thinking of.”

“Thank you. I will get that taken care of soon.” Hermione smiled at her fondly. Having McGonagall’s approval and praise meant the world to her and she was happy to have it. That she had earned it made it even better.

“Well, off you go and get yourself some breakfast. Have a good and uneventful trip Hermione.” said the Headmistress.

“Thank you Headmistress. I will make sure Simon gets to his new family safely.” said Hermione as she stood. “Have a good holiday Headmistress.”

“You too Hermione.”

Hermione headed down towards the Great Hall thinking about Harry and what she needed to in order to make sure Simon and he had time to talk. There was no doubt in her mind that having Harry talk to him would help Simon and she knew it would help Harry quiet old ghosts. Leaving Simon alone for that talk would be fun but she was well aware that Harry would take care of him and the two of them bonding would be a good thing for the boy. She really couldn’t think of a better role model in the magical world for Simon than Harry. He was the perfect guy and if she were actually into guys she could imagine the two of them as a couple. But she was very happily a lesbian and he was very happily her brother which was not something she wanted to change. There had been that near moment in the tent when they had been dancing but neither of them had pressed that and instead had focused on feeling better. That had made a great deal of difference.

She walked into the Great Hall and spotted Ginny and Luna sitting together at the Gryffindor table eating as usual. It was funny that the blond almost never ate with her House mates any more. That made her feel a bit sad for Ravenclaw because it was definitely their loss. Luna was a bit hard to understand but was brilliant, brilliant and eccentric. It was sad that the House of wise had lost one with such insight by their being such short sighted jerks. Hermione strolled over, kissed her girlfriend on her cheek, and sat, reaching for the tea. She noticed someone was missing from their usual coterie and asked, “Have you seen Simon?”

Luna pointed down the table with her spoon, which she usually ate with. “He’s eating with his harem. They are going to miss him over the break and are trying to get as much Simon time in as possible.”

Hermione looked and saw Simon eating with all the first year girls in their House. It was nice to see him with his friends. Compared to how things were for him at the beginning of the term this was a tremendous improvement. And now he was going to be getting a new family that, if all went according to her hopes, would actually support him and his sister and not treat him as a pariah to be beaten and abused. That was so wonderful. She was so very happy for him and hoped his luck in this would continue. After hearing about what he had gone through all she wanted for Simon was nothing but good things and happiness.

As soon as she had eaten her breakfast, it was time to head down to the station after sending Perdita home, as she was supposed to monitor the loading of the train while Cameron was going to make sure people got out of the school without a fuss, because honestly who would want to leave that up to Mr. Filch? There were going to be Prefects from all houses split at both sides to make sure this whole process flowed as smoothly as possible as well since some were already on the train. Soon the exodus began and the students who were heading home over the holidays were debarking from the carriages and were getting herded onto the train. The process was not as crazy and chaotic as it usually was at the start of the school year back at Platform 9 and 3/4, as everyone was excited about going home and no one was likely to miss the school much or drag their feet nearly missing the train. This was a train that people had no problem with making. Besides, Ginny had come down to the station with her and was not left to the usual Weasley promptness.

Ginny stood there with her on the platform until Simon arrived with his gaggle and she squeezed her hand before entering the cars with him. She was going to tell him that Hermione wanted to talk to him and then they were going to find the spot that Luna had grabbed for the whole group. Once Cameron arrived in the last carriage from the school, they did their final check, and then the train took off towards London. The Prefect brief was easy and brief, as it was merely a review of what needed to be done in their patrolling of the train and the schedule for that. That meant she was walking towards the back of the train and the spot where Luna had them sitting in fairly short order which made her happy. The winter train was usually filled with well-behaved but hyper students as all they wanted to do was get home and get to their holidays. There were usually more problems on the trip back up to school post-holiday rather than before as getting in trouble on the way down meant having the Head Boy and Girl telling the parents, in detail, what they had done, and no one wanted that to happen before Christmas and so tended to behave well. She was really hoping that held true this trip as well.

Walking into the compartment after she found Ginny and Luna, she dropped heavily into the seat next to her girlfriend with a sigh. Ginny looked over at her with some pity and asked, “Tired Kitten?”

“I know it’s not even ten yet but I am so done. Too many chores in too little a time. You talked to Simon, right?” asked Hermione, her eyes closed and her head rest against the back of the bench. The familiar gentle rocking motion of the train that had not been magiced away was soothing. It had always been her favorite part of any train ride and it still held true.

“Absolutely.” confirmed Ginny. “So is it true? He has a family now?”

“That’s what I was told. I have no idea who they are or what they are like and neither does McGonagall. Apparently, thanks to it being some sort of abuse case and the fact that there are Pureblood families looking for any traction to maintain any kind of power, they aren’t giving anything away to anyone, including us. It is so damn Ministry logic that it’s ridiculous. I mean, honestly, how am I supposed to confirm things? But anyway, once we get off the platform and into the station proper Simon will have to look for his sister. She will be there with the new parents and once he’s settled with them at his new home I can finally go home and collapse. McGonagall wants me to make sure that he gets there safe and sound as well as to make sure that I don’t get a bad vibe from them. She’s worried that the Ministry might not have found them a proper home. Apparently what happened to Harry is still bothering her. So I guess that means I will be talking to you tomorrow instead of tonight.” said Hermione with a slight frown.

“That’s fine. You just make sure that Simon is all settled and happy with his new family, okay. Overnight is not too long and it’s not like I’m not going to see or talk to you tomorrow. Oh… I don’t know if I told you but I am thinking of telling my parents tonight or tomorrow about us.” said Ginny, looking a bit uncomfortable over that notion.

Hermione looked both surprised and pleased with the idea. “Are you sure you don’t want me there with you when you tell them Vixy? I know how hard this can be and if you need me there I can do what I can to be there to support you in this.”

“You told Ron and I was not overly helpful when that happened and you were alone when you told your parents. So I’m going to pretend to be a Gryffindor and tell my parents about me and us all by myself. And you know, I think your mom is right. My parents aren’t idiots and I’m sure they think, maybe even know something is going on with us. I would rather get this whole mess taken care of and be able to openly hug and kiss you when we are all together at Christmas and New Year than not. The rest of the family can simply find out that way as having to tell multiple people one at a time is not something I am looking forward to.” said Ginny, making her point of view known. “I’m not sure I can handle ringing in the New Year this year without kissing you. That might honestly be more than I can bear.”

Hermione leaned in and kissed Ginny sweetly. She really did love her girlfriend. Ginny was everything she had ever wanted in a partner and more, which was probably why she had been dreaming of her for years before she had realized it. It was a shame that she had misinterpreted that dream for so long but she eventually got it right. She gazed lovingly into her girlfriend’s warm chocolate eyes. “I am proud of you Vixy. I’m sure you will be able to do this and don’t worry, your parents love you very much. It will be fine.”

Ginny let out a breath she had been holding. “I know but I’m just worried. This is really scary.”

“I know. Trust me I know. I was absolutely terrified when I told my parents. I’m not happy how that turned out initially, as freaking out had not been in my plans, but at least there was a happy ending to that.” They both smiled at each other with that memory, blushing a little. Waking up in Ginny’s arms after that meltdown was, without a doubt, one of her best memories ever. To wake in the arms of the one you most adored… it really did make her fell loved and cared for. And then to find that Ginny felt the same, it had been a perfect and magical night. “You just need to summon up your Gryffindor bravery before you do this and just say what you have to say. Don’t babble. Don’t say too much. Just say what you have to say and stop. And when you’re done, please let me know what happened and what they said. I will be so worried about you until I hear from you.”

Ginny hugged her and kissed her. “Thank you ‘mione, you are the best. I really mean it. I love you so much.”

“I do wonder if it is possible to catch some sort of illness from watching the two of you?” asked Luna calmly, her head cocked to the side in thought.

“Luna!” snapped Ginny, slightly horrified at what her friend had said while Hermione only laughed.

“The amount of cute you both generate when together and interact might actually cause some people a bit of discomfort and other potential issues. There could be a number of symptoms of a greater illness that could be traced to such exposure, don’t you think?” posited Luna. She was taping her lips as she watched the two of them.

Ginny’s face was growing a brighter red the longer Luna continued to expound on her thesis and Hermione nodded as she followed along, still chuckling over this whole notion.

“I wonder how you could set up a proper study to observe such an effect. Would it be difficult you think? What sort of research framework would it require? Do you think that certain people have a greater tolerance for such things compared to others? That could throw off the data sets. There are a whole host of questions that such a study would need to work out before we started, don’t you agree?” Her voice hadn’t changed the whole time, maintaining that slightly distracted spacy quality, but her eyes were sparkling with mischief.

Hermione was nodding in agreement, having been able to limit herself to just a snicker. “You know, I think that theory and accompanying experiment plan might prove to be a great article for the Quibbler. There could be charts and graphs and everything. We could take pictures of people’s reactions as well.”

“You’re right. That would enhance the data collection and add more veracity to my claims, especially when I took this to St. Mungo’s so they would be prepared for any cases they would have to deal with. Could I use you two as my source of the discomfort given that you both are the cuteness in question?” asked Luna, clearly getting caught up in the idea.

“Wait, what? Hold on a minute.” protested Ginny, eyes wide, hands out and waving, trying to slow the tide of this madness, staring at Hermione as if trying to figure out what was wrong with her as it seemed as if she were actually encouraging this insanity.

“That might be fun you know.” said Hermione. “I can probably help you set up the study model you know, so we can try to eliminate as much of the potential bias as possible, so we have as accurate data as possible.”

“Oh goody! This sounds like it can be an exciting Spring project.” Luna clapped a little eager for this to begin.

“Wha??” Ginny sat there looking between Hermione and Luna as if trying to decide which of the two of them were the crazier, though given the looks being given she was leaning more towards Hermione for being unhinged enough to support this in the first place.

“What’s the problem Ginevra? This is just a scientific study. Doesn’t this sound like it could be a lot of fun?” Hermione asked innocently, doing her best to not start laughing. “We get to act cute and Luna gets to see how people react. How can that be bad?”

“I… I… would you two stop that! Honestly, you two are hopeless. Why must you two lunatics torment me like that?” complained Ginny, flailing a bit.

“Probably because you are so very cute when you are confused. You look so very much like a gricklepunk who cannot get any bacon. How could anyone resist getting you to look like that over and over?” offered Luna with a smile. “That’s my reason for doing this at any rate. Hermione doesn’t get nearly as confused by me anymore so it’s not like I can do this to her like I used to.”

“This is so unfair. I’ve known you and we have been friends for years and Hermione who hasn’t seems to know you best. How is that fair?” Ginny was getting a touch huffy over the matter.

“We talked rather a lot while I was healing Ginny. Her and Fleur actually, as for a little bit I wasn’t comfortable being around anyone else but them as they felt nothing like Bellatrix or reminded me of our mission. She also helped keep Ron away which was nice as well since he was being very pushy, hovering over me worse than I ever got with you. It was something I just couldn’t take at that time and I needed their help to get away from him. I also had to have someone’s help to regain some equilibrium. And after a bit Luna went from you know Luna… no offense.” said Hermione with a fond smile.

“None taken. I know how most people see me.” replied Luna with her usual dreamy smile.

“…to making perfect sense to me. Well, that may be overstating things a bit, but to making more sense to be sure. So, I guess that’s why we seem closer than before, I guess while I was recuperating I figured out how to translate from Luna to English.” Hermione snickered as Luna stuck her tongue out at her.

“So you’re saying that if I hung out with Fleur and Luna for a month or more I would be able to speak Luna fluently?” asked Ginny with an eyebrow raised questioningly.

Luna shrugged and looked at Ginny. “It’s entirely possible you know. There were other conditions that could have affected things with Hermione that would be terrible to set up for you to go through but it is possible. I know that you and I have not really talked like we used to in several years so that is another factor in your loss of translation ability. So… want to give the language immersion course a go?”

The three of them started giggling and then laughing, with Ginny sliding off her seat she was laughing so hard. Simon opened the door to this den of giggling and stared at the three girls in confusion, clearly unsure what to do. “Uhm… did I miss something?”

“Nothing that important Simon, just the group of us realizing we’re weird.” said Hermione casually.

“Oh that. You didn’t know that? I thought everyone knew that?” He sounded honestly confused as if that statement she had made were the most obvious fact in the world.

This set the three of them off some more, with Ginny going so far as to pound on the seat a little. Simon sat down on the same side of the compartment as Luna and shook his head, simply waiting for them to finish, sighing a little. He rolled his eyes at them and looked between them, trying to be patient. Once the three young women eventually regained their composure, wiping tears from their eyes, he asked, “Ginny said you wanted to talk to me?”

“Yes I did. You know how you told the Headmistress about how you were treated back at home?” began Hermione, wanting to keep this whole conversation nice and casual so as not to upset him.

“Yes.” Simon was clearly worried about where this was going.

“Well, the Ministry looked into that situation and discovered that in addition to all of the things you endured that your sister is also magical. Your parents were starting to treat her poorly as well, since she has started to have bouts of accidental magic that could no longer be blamed on you and so they stepped in.” Simon grew really upset as this continued and Hermione moved over to sit alongside him, hugging him tight against her. “She’s safe right now Simon. I have been told by the Headmistress that she’s okay and that the Ministry got her out of there so your parents can’t hurt her any longer. What I’m trying to tell you though Simon is that you and your sister have been removed from them. You no longer have to go home to somewhere where you have to be hurt because of who you are, to parents who don’t love you for who you are. Another family, a family of a muggleborn child have arranged to take both of you in. From everything the Headmistress told me this morning, the Ministry has checked them out thoroughly and will make sure you both will be perfectly safe with them. I will also check up on you because the Headmistress asked me to and because I promised you that I would keep you safe. I am not going to let people hurt you Simon and if this new family does not meet my standards I am pulling you and taking you and your sister home with me. I will happily explain that to the Ministry if I have to. You are important to me Simon and I don’t let bad things happen to my friends. Just ask Harry.” Hermione hugged him again. “I just want you to be happy.”

“So my sister Amy… she’s okay then?” His voice shook a little as he asked that. When Simon had heard that she was magical he had been surprised and scared for her. There was no doubt that he was somewhat upset by everything but there was also some degree of hope there in his voice as well. Tears were gathering at the corners of his eyes and coloring the edges of his voice, “She’s only six and they could have really hurt her.”

“From everything I’ve heard she’s fine. If anything had happened to her they would have taken her to St. Mungo’s, the magical hospital, where someone like Madam Pomfrey would have patched her up so she would be as good as new. That’s the good thing with having the people taking you in having already had a kid who’s gone through this and being familiar with magic. They know how to deal with all of this and are familiar with who and where to go to if they need help.” Hermione was keeping her voice nice and calm, trying to project an image of being a safe and protective adult who he could trust. She didn’t know what the future would bring him but she was sure that she would always be there for him. There was enough about him that reminded her of Harry at that age that she was just drawn to him and the differences were interesting. He just brought out her fierce protective side.  “And besides, you can always get ahold of me if you need to. I can give you one of the charmed coins I’ve made so if you need to you can let me know you need help. All you have to do is touch it with your wand and my coin will respond. I will modify my coin to make a noise at night so I can hear it even when I’m asleep so you can always get ahold of me, okay? I will help you even if I am out of school and we’re apart, so don’t worry. Okay?”

Simon nodded, comforted by her words.

Ginny smiled and added, “That goes for me as well. Hermione can charm my coin to react that way as well so I can help out as well. If I can I’ll see if we can drag you and your sister to my parent’s house for the holidays, so you can see what a real wizarding Christmas is like. You’ll love it. I have six brothers, and with their girlfriends and families and everything it’s an absolute madhouse. Harry is also going to be there which means Luna will be there as well. So do you think we should ask about that?”

At his smile and nod Luna smiled as well and said, “Well, that’s good because I would hate to have to return the gift I got you.”

The other three looked at her with some confusion and she said, “What? I knew he would need a gift for the party and so when I figured out what it should be I send Daddy out for it. And when I hadn’t heard back from him in a while I sent Harry to retrieve it and he told me he picked it up.”

“So where is your father?” asked Simon slowly, as if it might be a dangerous question.

“I have no idea honestly. He could be out running down a lead for a story or Nargles may have taken him, though if they did this would be their largest theft yet. There are simply too many options to be sure what occurred.” She did not seem overly concerned about her father’s safety or whereabouts.

Hermione grinned and cut her eyes over to the blond, saying, “I see. So I guess that means you will be staying with Harry until your father’s whereabouts have been established?”

The blush colored Luna’s cheeks nicely, standing out on her pale skin. “Harry was kind enough to offer me a place for me to stay until my father is discovered, if you must know. Granted, there is probably a note at home explaining everything but I do not know for sure. A girl can never be too careful in these troubling times you know. It is far safer to stay with an Auror in training than alone.”

Ginny and Hermione shared a very wide grin and then turned it on Luna who only blushed a deeper red and looked down at the floor. She seemed unable to speak, her voice caught up in her growing embarrassment at what her friends were implying with their knowing looks. With a bit of a snicker at Luna’s predicament, Hermione said rather concerned, “Oh dear, it seems as if Wrackspurts have gotten to you.”

“Oh… oh… I know how to fix that.” offered Ginny, trying to be helpful.

Luna’s blush deepened again and she hid her face in her hands as the others laughed with her, leaning in to hug the embarrassed girl who started shaking her head and groaning.

The playful banter and lighthearted conversation continued for the rest of the train ride down to London. Hermione’s patrol through the train was nice and quiet, with nobody really causing any trouble as mostly people were staying in their compartments or bugging the trolley lady for more snacks. She checked in with Cameron in the Prefect’s Carriage who let her know that there had been no trouble at all the whole trip to that point, aside from a few minor scuffles that were hardly anything between a few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. After the last several years, it was just a strange experience having nothing untoward happen or nobody calling her anything hateful. Honestly, Hermione was kind of at a loss for how to deal with it.

The train began to pull into the outskirts of London and everyone changed into less wizard and more muggle clothes so as to blend better. While Hermione did like looking more fashionable now than she had before, she had to admit that skirts in the winter were evil and not a lovely choice. Having ones bits frozen while going to classes was not a pleasant thing and warming charms could only do so much when cold Highland gusts went right up them and through the material of the tights. Slacks or jeans in the winter were basically a must and she hated that the school didn’t take that into consideration. There was no getting around that and her bits approved the warmth they provided. Once that was taken care of, they then just had to wait for the train to finish the lovely track crossing process through the maze of twelve tracks that led them into King’s Cross station, well eleven that the muggles were aware of. With so many trains coming in and out of the station fairly continuously, even with magic there was a bit of a process involved in the train pulling into the station and timing was crucial. Slowly the train slowed to a stop and they were back in London. She kissed her girlfriend, knowing it would be the last time for a while, taking her time to show her just how much she loved her and would miss her. “I’ll see you on the Platform. Please don’t leave without saying goodbye and Gin, watch Simon for me.”

“Yes love. Don’t worry about him.” Ginny smiled at her, brushed her hand down Hermione’s cheek and then headed out to the Platform, helping Simon with his trunk.

As Head Girl, she and the Head Boy had to ensure that the disembarking of the train went well and that people were off the train in a timely manner and with few issues. It usually did not take very long since the train was not very big. Once she was done with that part of her duty and she didn’t have to worry about being Head Girl anymore until the train ride back, Hermione walked out onto the platform and spotted the people she wanted to see. She hustled over and hugged Harry, who had been standing there talking to Simon, with his arm around Luna’s waist. He turned to her happily. “Hey there, how is the Hogwarts Head Girl?”

“Tired. This stuff is a lot of work but it also has a few nice perks. How’s training?” she asked. She had to admit that Harry did look pretty good and was smiling more than she remembered him ever doing. This was a good thing in her book and needed encouraging.

“Going well so far. I am going to be seeing you later, right?” asked Harry, making sure that they did have plans to meet up at some point over the break.

“Of course. So you can come over for Christmas morning if you want, you and Luna or we can meet up after the Christmas party. I mean come on Harry, you’re basically my brother and what would the holidays be without you, especially this one?” said Hermione with a happy smile, hugging him again.

“Yeah, and you are definitely my nagging older sis.” He teased her back.

“Well if you had done your homework more often it wouldn’t have been necessary.” Hermione teased right back.

“I have missed you ‘mione.” He hugged her tight, grinning the whole time.

“Same here Harry. You need to come by my house sometime. Please think about coming by for Christmas morning. Being with family is important on that day and you are part of mine. Just let me know when you can come by otherwise.”

Harry seemed a bit chocked up by that and said, “That’d be nice. Thanks.”

Once she let go of him, she grinned at the Weasleys. “Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, it’s so nice to see you again.”

“Nice to see you too dear. Are your parents not here?” asked Mrs. Weasley politely, looking around the Platform, as if her muggle parents could somehow have gotten there on their own.

“No, the plan was for me to apparate home right after I take care of some business.” said Hermione. “I’ll be fine and will be home soon enough.”

“Oh alright then. Are you coming by at some point over the holiday?”

“Absolutely Mrs. Weasley. I wouldn’t miss the party for anything. There is no way I am going to miss one of your Christmas parties. I can bring my parents as well, as they would really enjoy it as I know my father has been asking me what a wizarding Christmas is like.” said Hermione, smiling at the idea of her father talking to Mr. Weasley all night.

“That would be wonderful dear. I look forwards to having you all there. You know what I say, the more the merrier.”

“Can I also bring Simon here and his sister?” asked Hermione, wanting to take this perfect moment to take care of that potential issue. There was no way she was going to leave Simon out of the good fun that was a Weasley party.

“Of course Hermione, that would be just fine. You know I prefer the Burrow to be full and happy for the holidays. That’s going to be especially important this year.” Mrs. Weasley smiled down at Simon who smiled back at her, happy to be included. “Well, I guess we will be seeing you all a little later then. Come along Ginny.”

Hermione and Ginny shared a hand squeeze and a look before they parted. Harry and Luna hugged her and then they both took off as well. Simon stood there looking a bit anxious, shuffling his feet. Hermione noticed this and asked, “Simon, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I guess, but I’m going to be meeting my new parents soon. I’m a bit scared. I mean… do you think they’ll like me?” he asked quietly, his voice trembling in spots. It was clear that now all the others were gone and the moment of truth was here his nerves were getting to him.

“Of course they’ll like you Simon. How could they not? I mean, what’s not to like? You are a wonderful young man Simon and anyone would be lucky to have you as their son.” replied Hermione with honest emotion. She really did feel all of that as the truth.

“Then when didn’t my parents want me?” There was raw pain in his voice and it hurt Hermione to hear that. He clearly felt abandoned and alone and heartbroken and Hermione so wanted to hurt his old parents some more for doing this to such a wonderful boy. Where Harry had grown hard because the abuse was not continuous he had not and so the wounds dug in and tore at him. Oh she hated those people in a way she had previously reserved for Umbridge and Death Eaters.

She crouched down a little next to him and hugged Simon comfortingly, rubbing his back a little, saying, “Simon, some people don’t know what they have or they don’t value it. I know I told you a little about the fact that Harry had to put up with that and so did you. You are a great kid. Never forget that. There are a lot of people who know this to be true so don’t argue with them.”

Simon hugged her back and said, “Thank you Hermione.”

“No problem. Now, let’s go meet these new parents of yours. I’m sure you want to see your sister if nothing else.” said Hermione, picking up her trunk after she shrunk it and put it in her purse. She then put his trunk onto one of the carts to make it easier for them to transport.

They wheeled out of the Platform and onto the muggle side of the train station. Heading towards the main section of the station his hand found its way into hers and was holding her hand tight. Hermione wasn’t even sure is Simon was aware that he had even done it. Once they turned the corner and were more properly in the main section of the station, they began looking about for Simon’s sister.

They walked forward and scanned the crowds for any sign of her when Simon suddenly yelled happily and pulled away from her. Hermione let him go without any fuss, turned her head and watched as he ran up to a little girl who was squealing happily and racing towards him. It was easy to tell that they were siblings as they had the same color hair and similar facial features. Hermione had to admit that Amy was pretty cute with the bow in her hair and all. That made her smile. It was so good to see them together and that Amy was that happy spoke well for this new family that was taking in Simon. She followed the girl’s path backwards, to where his new parents should be and her eyes widened in surprise, “Mum? Dad?”


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I am going to take a two week hiatus so my arm has time to heal. I am sorry for this but this guarantees that I don’t have to struggle as much to get edits done and new chapters written and all of that. I am sorry and I feel kind of bad about doing this, but with so many of you telling me to take care and my wife glaring at me it’s not like I have better option. At least this isn’t a cliffhanger. I’m not that mean. Well… yes I am, but not this time.

Thirty-Seven

Hermione was sitting on her favorite end of the couch in the living room with her mother, legs curled up underneath her, drinking a cup of tea. She was shaking her head in amusement as she had been for much of the trip home from the station. This had not been something she had expected and it was pretty wonderful. “So how exactly did this happen?”

“Well, apparently after you told Madam Pomfrey and Headmistress McGonagall that you were willing to take Simon in; they got in touch with both us and the Ministry, explaining the situation. The people in the Ministry office that deals specifically with Child Welfare seemed quite keen on the idea of us stepping forward to take custody as it did not require them to actually do much work in trying to find them a suitable family where Amy could continue to go to school and all of that. From what I gathered after talking with them, making them both simply disappear from the system would have raised some alarms. There are simply too many records out there to disappear people successfully. So after speaking with us and having talked to the Headmistress, Madam Pomfrey and apparently the Minister about you they came up with this particular solution. As I understand it, after the Ministry representative explained it to us, we are their parents all nice and legal in both the magical and muggle world and you are their magical guardian.” said her mother with an amused smile. “So in a way you are in charge of them some as well, able to do whatever needs doing in the wizarding world.”

“Wow.” Hermione was blown away by all of this. It was just all so unexpected. When she had offered to take in Simon she had been quite serious but she had also had been aware that the odds had not really been in her favor. Who would seriously consider allowing a young woman still in school to take responsibility for a young boy and his sister? But this solution… this was a lot to take in. It seemed so practical, well thought out, and workable that she had trouble believing that the Ministry was actually involved with it.

“I know. It was a surprise for us as well. Your father and I always wanted more kids but it never came to pass because of a few reasons. We certainly never thought getting more kids would happen this way. We thought it would happen more traditionally but this is okay. Amy is just precious by the way. She is a bit clingy right now but I think that’s mostly because of the whole change over from her old family to ours. We’ve had her a little over a month and have her in school. She is doing well in her classes and she is starting to get used to life here bit by bit. I hope you don’t mind but I have gotten out some of your older books and she has been going through them and that’s been nice. Amy is almost as bright as you are so we have been encouraging her.” Her mum was happy to make all of this clear which Hermione greatly appreciated. It was a good thing to see her mother this happy about the way their life had changed. Gaining two new family members could have gone poorly.

“Simon is really bright as well Mum, just so you know. He’s a really sweet kid and is doing very well in all of his classes.” said Hermione, chuckling to herself.

“I guess his big sister has been helping him stay on track?” teased her mother gently, nudging Hermione with her foot.

“A little bit at the beginning. I mean Mum you should have seen him; he seemed so lost at first and had no real friends. He kind of reminded me of me and a bit of Harry so of course I had to get involved. Now while he isn’t great friends with any of the boys in his year, I think he said something about the fact that they don’t make any sort of sense to him for some reason or other, he hangs out with all of the girls in his year in our House. It’s actually pretty funny. We tease him about his harem and he blushes about it, which is very cute. The girls he hangs out with think it’s hysterical but clearly love him to death. They are all thick as thieves.” Hermione grinned, thinking about how happy Simon looked surrounded by all of his female friends. Regardless of whether or not the he made friends with the guys in his year, Simon had fast friends with the girls and they did most everything together.

“I can imagine. You know, I was wondering why you kept talking about this boy in your letters given what we knew about you and Ginny and then we met him at your birthday and again at the Ceremony. That helped clarify a lot of things. So when the Ministry came to us asking if we wanted to do this and we realized that one of the names mentioned was that Simon… well how could we not do this? If we didn’t take him in you would never forgive us if you ever found out. Besides I think you will like Amy almost as much when you really meet her.” said her mother with a grin.

Hermione grinned back at her. “I am really looking forward to that. Simon was so stunned when I told him she was magical and so pleased she was going to be here. He loves her so much. It kind of boggles my mind to think that I now have two more siblings that I didn’t have at the start of this school year.”

“I know. But to tell you the truth Hermione, it hasn’t been that much of a problem all told. We have had some helping make sure we could get two more bedrooms in here somehow and Minerva got Filius who was quite happy to help with that. So they each have their own room now and we still have a guest room. We are two linen closets down but that’s okay. That is a compromise I can live with. Magic has been really useful in making this transition easier as it has allowed us to take care of issues that would have necessitated us moving otherwise and I do love this house. They have all of their stuff here, as the Ministry moved them out completely, and that made things easier for Amy to accept having all her dolls and stuffed animals with her. She still has some problems adjusting but by and large she seems to be coping with this new chapter in her life quite well.”

“That’s good to hear,” said Hermione, happy to hear that things were going that well for her parents and in the integrating of these new family members. “I am still pretty surprised that the Ministry agreed to make me their magical guardian. I would have thought they would have gone with Professor McGonagall or someone similar.”

“Apparently the fact that you are a national hero and are highly respected by a number of important people in the government has a lot to do with it. And the fact that there are almost no real decisions for you to make until this summer at the earliest means you will be out of school before you completely take over that portion of the job. Apparently you also being nineteen had something to do with it as well and well over age.” Her mother smiled at her with some amusement.

Hermione shook her head and chuckled slightly, rolling her eyes, “I can tell this will be fun.”

“I’m sure you will be fine. You will do great at that part of the job and can visit all the time, which we would expect anyway. You’ll be a great big sister to both of them and I know you already look out for Simon.”

“There is that. It would be nice to get to know my new little sister. I know I won’t have a lot of time with her before I move out. And you have what, about five years with her before she heads off for Hogwarts. And then there is the fact that you will have Simon for parts of the next six years. Not too bad all things considered since you said you wanted more kids after me. And this time there should be a lot fewer issues from the magical world trying to separate them from you. No psycho trying to kill everyone. No major conflicts between the magical world and our life anymore, just relaxing instead of running amuck. Such a nice change of pace.” added Hermione.

Her mother looked off into the distance, smiled and had a sip of her tea, “That will be nice. For so long we thought that you were going to drift away from us, that we were going to lose you. Thankfully that all worked out and now there’s this. But you know we’re not going to take them in and forget all about our baby girl don’t you? What kind of parents would we be if we did that?”

“Ugh… did you have to call me baby girl?” complained Hermione, groaning in irritation at the term.

“Sorry Hermione, not going to stop saying that ever but that is something you are going to be forever. You better get used to it.” Her mother grinned at her. “You’ll always be my precious baby girl.”

Simon and Amy came downstairs and walked into the living room, Amy dragging Simon along by his hand as Hermione was gagging from what her mother had said. As an attempt to distract herself from all of that she turned her attention to them as Amy was talking to her brother, saying, “She’s really nice Simon.”

The two older Grangers looked over at the two youngsters and waited to see what was going on and what was going to happen. Amy got behind her brother and pushed a little, sending him towards Hermione’s mother. Simon looked a bit amused and embarrassed at the same time. His sister basically ordered, “Really talk to her, you’ll like it. I like her Simon.”

Hermione and her mother shared a look of understanding and smirked at that. Amy came around the couch and grabbed one of Hermione’s hands, tugging on it. “Come on, come. You have to see my room.”

Hermione restrained her snickering. It just wouldn’t do to laugh at a six year old girl who seemed very intent on getting this to happen, using her scant weight to try and drag Hermione forward. Giving in, she stopped her slight bit of resistance and then followed along after Amy to her bedroom. The room was a similar size to hers but the decorations were a good bit more girly, with stuffed animals and dolls everywhere and far more feminine colors than Hermione was partial to. There were some pictures of horses and animated characters on the walls. It did look comfortable and did speak of who Amy could be. She turned to face Hermione, “This is my room. It’s bigger than my room at my other house and now my stuffed animals have more room for themselves which is important. They didn’t like being crowded. This one is Pepper, she’s my favorite.”

The girl held up a stuffed otter that was a good bit over a foot long and grinned at her new sister. Once Amy was sure that Hermione got a good look at her she hugged the doll close. Hermione had an idea that she was sure that her new little sister would adore and wanted to see how this would play out, “Do you like otters?”

“Oh yes! They are the bestest animal there is. I also like elephants and giraffeses. Horses are awesome too. They are so beautiful. Owls are neat as well. Did you know they can turn their heads all the way round?” Amy grinned and hugged her otter as she pointed to several different animals on the bed.

“I did know that. The magical world uses owls for the mail which is why I have Perdita and Mom and Dad have Cuspid. They are very useful and are great companions. Since you know about magic and are going to be able to do it yourself someday would you want to see a nice magic trick?” asked Hermione, trying to keep from grinning broadly with expectation.

“Really? You’ll show me actual magic? The people who got me from my house after my mom hit me because somehow Pepper came flying over to me when I felt really sad never did anything I could really see. And the nice lady who healed me, she waved her wand but I couldn’t really tell anything either. And then I came here and there was no real magic though your parents told me all about you and that you could do all sorts of stuff.” Amy seemed really excited about this possibility, eyes wide and she bounced some as she spoke. She sat down on the edge of her bed and looked at Hermione excitedly, Pepper hugged tight against her chest.

Knowing that this would make Amy very happy, she pulled free her beech wand and focused on one of the many recent moments that had made her happy. Recalling the moment that Ginny had first told her that she loved her, Hermione began smiling a bit goofily as she moved her wand and called out, “Expecto Patronum!”

Her otter burst forth from the wand, bright and strong, swimming through the air, spinning as it went leaving a very faint ethereal trail behind it. Amy squealed happily at the top of her lungs, bounding to her feet and clapping excitedly, still managing to retain her hold on her otter doll. Hermione brought her otter around the room and finally over by them and had it sit next to her new sister where it looked at her and rolled a full circle on its back. The trembling young girl tried to touch the otter and her hand went through the silvery ghostly figure which made her gasp a little. Amy was clearly delighted by this display of magic and asked in awe, “You have a magic otter?”

“Yep. This is my patronus, something that is made up of my happy thoughts, the stronger the thought the brighter and more powerful the patronus. Happiness and love actually power the charm.” explained Hermione with a grin, knowing that this was about as simplified as she could make it.

“So pretty… what was your happy thought?” asked Amy, never taking her eyes off the wriggling Patronus.

Hermione blushed slightly, remembering the moment so well and how it was the best birthday present she had ever received, and said, “My happy thought this time was of when my girlfriend first told me she loved me.”

Amy cocked her head to the side, actually turning away from the patronus and looked at Hermione a bit confused, “You have a girlfriend and not a boyfriend?”

“Yes I do. Her name is Ginny and she has long red hair and plays sports. She’s really nice, quite pretty and pretty smart as well. She’s my best friend and we love each other very much.” Hermione was enjoying this time with Amy, as she seemed to be a good kid and inquisitive, kind of like she had been when younger, only with a lot more dolls.

“But why girls?” Amy seemed to be trying to figure this out.

“Why boys? I dated boys for a while and they just didn’t work for me. People need to go out and date whoever makes them happy and that’s all. If it’s a boy or a girl who cares as long as you are happy?” She smiled and shrugged.

“Oh… okay.” Amy looked up at her with her big eyes and asked, “Do you think she’ll like me?”

“I’m sure of it Amy. I mean, Ginny likes Simon and he’s your big brother so why wouldn’t she like you.” said Hermione wanting to reassure Amy about Ginny. Amy seemed to really want Hermione’s approval and she was happy to give it.

“She does?” Amy seemed amazed by this fact which made Hermione smile broadly and she struggled not to laugh. That really wouldn’t do.

“Yes. She does. So does my friend Luna. We hang out with him all the time.”

“And… and you’re my big sister now… right?” Hermione did not have to stretch to hear the worry about abandonment in the girl’s voice. It was very clear that the whole situation that had resulted in her coming here was still affecting her. Having her mother hit her had to have scared Amy quite a lot if it had been the first time and after having seen what had happened to her brother time and again she might have been able to make such a connection to herself. Amy really needed a family that would hold together, be there for each other, and love each other for who they were.

Hermione hugged the girl, trying to hold onto her focus of the otter, making it swim around the room a bit more to keep her amused. “That’s right. I’m your big sister now and you are my little sister, just like Simon is my little brother now. Is that okay with you?”

“I always wanted a big sister.” said Amy shyly before hugging Hermione as strong as she could.

“Well, now you have one.” said Hermione, banishing her Patronus and hugging the girl back with both arms. “I’ve always wanted a sister as well and I think you’ll be a good one.”

“Thank you for keeping my brother safe.” whispered Amy, talking into Hermione’s side.

Hermione sighed. The fact that she was aware that there was a need for protecting him made her sad. A six year old girl should not be aware of those things. They should be worried about playtime and learning to read, not about some of the darker parts of people. She tried to keep a smiling face on things as she replied, “It was my pleasure Amy. It was pretty easy so far. Simon is really nice and I have enjoyed being his friend.”

“I just wish mummy and daddy hadn’t been so scared of magic. I think it’s pretty neat. That patroro spell is so cool. You made a magic otter. I’m a magical princess now and why would that be bad?” She started off kind of sad but cheered up as she went along.

“It’s not a bad thing Amy. Magic is a normal part of daily life for wizards and witches and even for non-magical people as well. The thing is that wizards and witches can control it and make it do things with their spells and in other ways. I bet that even non-magicals do things with it as well but it’s not as easy as for magicals and is kind of rare because if you look at history there are lots of stories about people doing these incredible things that nobody else could which could easily be explained by magic. Since it is a part of everything in the world then it’s not a bad thing at all.” explained Hermione, wanting to make sure that Amy understood this since her parents had been so anti-magic. If Amy had the least little influence from them about how magic was perceived she wanted to make sure that those seeds of thought were stamped out early and replaced. Between having to deal with crazy muggle thoughts and crazy pureblood thoughts it was a wonder that she just didn’t scream.

Amy just nodded her head, as if she were following along with everything she was saying. Hermione had no idea if she was or not but at least Amy was putting up a good front.

“Well, enough about that. Let’s talk about something more fun. So what is it that you like to do for fun?” asked Hermione, trying to find out more about her new sister.

“I like reading and dancing and storytelling and playing with my dolls and swimming and stuff.” rattled off the six year old, pleased with herself, hugging Pepper again.

“That’s good because I like some of those as well,” said Hermione.

“Really?” Amy found that fascinating for some strange reason.

Hermione snickered a little. It had been so long since she had interacted with a young child that she had forgotten how fun they could be. They seemed so intense sometimes, so focused on the moment that it made having a conversation with them interesting. “Yes really. I like reading most of all.”

“I like reading a lot but I’m not very good yet. Your mom bought me new books because I didn’t have that many back at my old home. I like lots of different stories. She even said she was going to read me the Hobbit.” said Amy excitedly, like she said most things. She really was an exuberant little kid.

“The Hobbit is a really good story and she read it to me when I was about your age. You know… since you are my little sister and all I guess I can let you borrow some of my older books if you promise to be careful with them.” said Hermione, pleased at the reaction she was getting from Amy. With wide eyes, she just seemed really thrilled by the idea. The more Hermione thought about it the more she could get used to this little sister idea. “You want to see my room and look at some of my books?”

Amy bounded up and grabbed her hand, trying to drag her out of the room and down the hall to where her bedroom was. Once in front of the door to her room, she opened it up and let Amy walk in first. The little girl was looking at everything as if it were about to do something, clearly thinking the room was far more magical than it actually was. Hermione chuckled. She knew that urge to believe that everything in the magical world had to be magical. Thankfully it had not taken her long to get over that, but she had been eleven at the time. “My older books that you might be able to read are on that bookshelf on the bottom two shelves. You should be able to read some of those, especially the ones at the far left on the bottom shelf.”

Hermione sat on her bed and then lay back, pivoting so her head was on her pillow and she was staring at her once familiar ceiling. It had been a while since she had been here, looking up at this ceiling and tracing patterns in the slight imperfections, finding faces and shapes in the ceiling coating. She was a touch apprehensive about the fact that she was going to be sleeping alone tonight. It had been months since she had slept alone and she really hoped that she didn’t have any nightmares because of how off it might feel. Did she need Ginny’s arms for her sleep to feel normal? All she really wanted was to be happy and have a nice night’s sleep. Was that really too much to ask?

Amy was enjoying the search through her books, humming to herself as she pulled them out and put them back and repetitive sounds had Hermione’s thoughts turned to that summer, to waking up in Ginny’s arms. She saw the framed picture of the two of them both dressed up and ready for dinner and the play over on her desk. It really had been a date but it wasn’t like she had told Ginny that at the time as she had simply been trying to treat Ginny the way she deserved to be treated. Oh how Vixy teased her about that now. There were other pictures of the two of them scattered amongst her pictures of her, Ron and Harry as well as a few of just her and Ron or her and Harry and one with the Defense Association. Having those pictures made everything better. Even if her Vixen weren’t here, just being able to look over at those pictures of the two of them smiling, and at a few of the wizard photos where her love was waving at her and kissing the her in the photo on the cheek which made her heart warm. She might miss the girl of her dreams but there were reminders everywhere of Ginny’s presence.

Once she has chosen three books she wanted to read, Amy headed off to her room with a quick hug and bye, leaving Hermione on her own, accompanied only by her thoughts. That was okay and she realized that it had actually been a while since she had just been on her own. Her head was still spinning about the fact that Simon was now her little brother. That was so crazy. And that wasn’t even taking into consideration Amy. She so wanted to send Ginny a note about this whole situation but figured that it could wait until the morning, where she would be rested and her thoughts might be settled enough to provide more coherency to her words. Right now she could say what she wanted to say but her thoughts were still a bit jumbled about how things ended up. After a few more minutes of woolgathering, she heard her father call, “Kids… dinner!”

Hermione pondered that phrase, something that had probably never been called out in this house. Over the summer he had yelled girls but this, this was something different, this was almost a fulfillment of her parents dream to have a larger family, a sign that it actually was real. She stood slowly and watched as Amy tore past her door, hair trailing behind her some. This made her chuckle and follow along behind, reaching her door when Simon did. They both smiled at each other and Simon gave her a hug. “Thanks for being my big sister.”

“I’m glad I could help. You’re a good kid Simon and you deserve all the happiness that we can get for you,” replied Hermione, hugging him back.

The meal was a good bit more rowdy than she was used to for home and it made her think of the Weasleys oddly enough. Seeing as they were the only family that was kind of large that she really knew she could kind of see a similar type of dynamics at play and she couldn’t help but smile. That was a warm family and to have that in common with them was a good thing in her book. There was lots of conversation between everyone and Amy had to be told to slow down twice before she choked herself on her food. It reminded her so much of Ron that she felt wistful and wished she could talk to him. If only they weren’t at odds right now. Everyone smiled when the little girl said she wanted to eat fast so she could get back upstairs so she could read some more. No one could really argue with that kind of reasoning but she did slow down a little. Hermione got a knowing look from her parents and blushed a little. Had she really been that bad when she had been little? Simon was able to leave the table first, despite not eating rapidly, and he headed back to his new room to unpack. As Amy finished off her meal and tore back upstairs to return to her reading there was a knock at the door.

The two adults and Hermione all looked at each other in confusion as they were obviously not expecting any company at that hour, before her mother lay down her utensils headed toward the door. Her mother could barely be seen looking through the peep hole though she was clearly heard when she gasped, calling Hermione once the door was opened. She hustled over there and when she got to the entrance way, standing next to her mother was a red faced and crying Ginny. Hermione’s stomach fell at the sight. There is no way this could be good news. “Gin!”

She ran over and pulled her girlfriend into a tight hug, worried about the myriad things that could have happened, silently praying it wasn’t the worst. “Are you alright?”

Ginny shook her head no and just rested her forehead against Hermione’s shoulder, crying silently, shaking in her arms. Hermione rubbed the girl’s back and shared a confused look with her mother. She only wished there were an easier way to get answers but even magic did not provide answers like that from thin air.

“What happened?” Hermione led her inside and to the living room, where they both sat on the couch. Hermione put a hand on her girlfriend’s thigh so Ginny would know that she was there for her.

Once Ginny regained her composure a bit more she began to fill them in on what had occurred. Her words were mixed with anger and sadness and it hurt to listen to but they sat there taking it all in. “Heh… what happened? My mother is what happened. Who else? Considering I was feeling pretty good after the trip home, I decided to take a chance, you know, and told my parents about us tonight after dinner. I wanted to share with them a little of my… our happiness. It… well, it did not go well. Well… that’s not quite true. My dad seemed to take the whole thing in stride, though he was a bit quiet through the rest of it. Mum however lost it. She started ranting about how could I do this to her, to the family and why couldn’t I just get back together with Harry like a good girl. She even said that she was disappointed in me because I had stolen you from Ron. Like I stole you! If anything you got me. But no, she said I was mistaken and confused and that I needed to get over this silly little fling so I could get back together with Harry and you could get back together with my idiot brother and we could all become one big happy Weasley family like we are supposed to be and have our fairytale ending! That’s the point where I started screaming at her about how delusional she was. We had a huge row over that and when I couldn’t take her calling me a brazen hussy anymore for loving you, or some of the things she called you, stating that Skeeter had been right about you all along or some tripe, I went to my room, grabbed my trunk and left. I just… I… I can’t even stand to look at her right now.”

Hermione pulled Ginny close to her and rubbed her back comfortingly, making soothing sounds. While that did sound like something Mrs. Weasley would do it also didn’t sound like her, especially after this spring and summer. To go after her daughter like that was so out of character that it just felt wrong. Her mother said, “I’m really surprised by all of this. I didn’t think that your mother would react like that to this news.”

Ginny snorted derisively, “That’s my mum for you.”

“Well, don’t you worry about a thing Ginny, you know you can stay here however long you need to. Hopefully this can all get sorted before Christmas as I know you both were looking forward to the Weasley family Christmas. I was as well, as I’ve never seen a magical Christmas and it sounded kind of interesting.” said her mother with a comforting smile.

“Thank you Mrs. Granger. I really appreciate this. It was here or going over to see Harry and… well… I didn’t want to disturb him unless you all weren’t able to take me in. Arrgh… I’m just so bloody angry. How could she do that to me?” grumbled Ginny, clenching and unclenching her fists.

“Parents want what’s best for their kids but sometimes they get caught up in their dreams for their children’s future as opposed to supporting their children however things turn out or in whatever it is that they are interested in. We didn’t know that Hermione was magical and that way of thinking helped us as we had to change our dreams for her midstride. Though we really weren’t all that surprised when she said she was interested in girls. It actually surprised us more when she said she was interested in your brother Ron than anything else. That was completely unexpected. We had both thought that if it was actually going to be a boy, that it might have been Harry instead.” explained her mother with a bit of a smirk.

“Mum… it wouldn’t be Harry. Ugh… honestly Mum… he’s like my brother and has been for years. That’s not right.” complained Hermione, shuddering at the thought.

“Stranger things have happened young lady. But in the end your father and I just want you girls to be happy, so whatever that takes we are willing to do. It is all that matters to us.” She said with a smile for the both of them.

“Was that Ginny I heard?” asked Simon as he entered the room.

Ginny snapped her head around and starred at the boy, completely confused. “Simon? What are you doing here?”

He grinned broadly at her, excited about knowing something she didn’t, and said proudly, “I live here now.”

Ginny gaped at the boy for a moment and then snapped her head back around to stare at Hermione and Hermione’s mother. Hermione giggled for a moment and then replied to the very baffled redhead, “No, really Ginny, it’s true. I was just as surprised as you are now when I spotted Amy with my parents. I was flabbergasted.”

“What? Simon’s sister is here as well? Why didn’t you tell me?” complained Ginny, sounding a bit whiney right then.

“I was going to tell you in the morning Gin. I have been too busy with being home, getting to know Amy and then dinner. I had figured that I could wait until the morning to send you a letter about all of this because it wasn’t that important right now.” stated Hermione. “Besides Perdita had flown all the way home from Hogwarts and she’s tired right now so I wasn’t going to make her fly to you even for something like this.”

“Hey now ‘mione, this is important news. You could have sent Cuspid with news like this. Simon’s like a little brother and I was worried about his new family as much as you were. You know that. Luna is as well.” Ginny pouted a little and Hermione found it so cute, with her bottom lip sticking out like that, that she had to lean forward and kiss her, focusing on the outstretched lip. Ginny pulled back and looked Hermione right in the eye, “Don’t think that is going to distract me Otter. I am wise to your tricksy ways.”

Simon stood there and snickered at them. Hermione’s mother looked away from their antics and over at her new son, asking, “Are they always like that?”

“Sometimes… their worse.” He stated calmly, clearly conveying the truth.

Both girls turned to face him, looking indignant, and protested, “Hey!”

Simon snickered at that, hiding his grin behind his hand. “It’s true and you know it. Luna is the only sane one out of the three of you and that’s because her boyfriend is nowhere about most of the time. But then again I have to admit that she is worse than you two when he shows up.”

“Oh that reminds me, I was going to get Harry to talk to you some over the break. Is that okay?” asked Hermione, a bit worried as to how Simon might take that. She had been trying to make this happen for a while and it never seemed to happen. She knew that it had been something that both thought would be a good thing but she was aware that people changed their minds.

“Really? I like Harry and it would be nice to talk to him. He’s really nice.” Simon said the last bit quietly, almost as if he were embarrassed to admit that.

“Even if it is about how you were treated at home?” asked Hermione, filing in that reaction in the back of her head for later thought as it seemed a bit out of character for the boy.

Simon looked up and nodded. “Yeah, even then. You said he went through similar stuff and so I’m wondering what he can say to me. You said he might be able to make me feel a little better about things.”

Ginny grinned, not quite over the argument with her mother but feeling a bit better than before, “Harry is really good at making people feel better. Either that or he rushes off to go save them from something or other. It’s usually one of the two now that I think of it.”

Hermione giggled in agreement, “It so true, his saving people thing is really kind of bad and I was hoping that it would get better once the crisis was over but last I heard it is still there.”

Simon had heard so many of the stories about Harry’s adventures over the last term that he didn’t even need to ask. He knew about the saving people thing and all that it entailed. “That sounds good. Will we see him soon?”

“Maybe. Let me check to see what he is up to tomorrow. I don’t know his schedule since I don’t see him all that often and last I heard he was still in training to be an Auror. But if he’s free we can have him come over, if not we will see him later for sure. He promised and he is good about not letting people down.” Hermione made a mental note and knew that would be a good enough reminder to get to that tomorrow.

“Okay.”

Hermione stood up from the couch, extending her hand to her girlfriend, “Come on Gin. Let’s get your stuff put in my room and then you can meet Amy. Believe it or not, she’s even cuter than Simon.”

“Hey!” complained the boy in question, pouting a little.

The two girls wandered off, chuckling at his indignation over the teasing. Once they were in her room and her trunk was put to the side, Hermione pulled Ginny into her arms, kissing the girl soundly. Once they broke apart, Hermione kept her face close and whispered, “I am so sorry that this happened Vixy. You really did not need that.”

Ginny kissed her on the lips lightly and said, “Thanks Kitten that does help. I just wish that she wasn’t being so crazy. It just hurts, you know?”

“I’m a bit surprised by this but then again your mother is not very subtle on the whole. Let’s just hope that she is just pulling a Ron and blowing up over this and will calm down over this soon. I know how much you love your Mum and I would hate if this were a permanent thing.” commented Hermione, running her hand down the back of Ginny’s head. She so loved this girl.

“That would be lovely. Sometimes she makes it so hard you know. I am so upset with her right now you have no idea. I could just scream!” She could feel Ginny tense up.

“Well now Vixy, we can’t have that now can we. Maybe later tonight I can find a better reason to make you scream, something you might actually enjoy and will take your mind off things.” Hermione’s eyes sparkled in anticipation. She really had not been looking forward to sleeping alone that evening and now it looked like she wasn’t going to. She had gotten so used to sleeping with her girlfriend that she was sure it was going to have been strange to sleep without her even being alongside her or even close by as she had been in the hospital wing. That strangeness might have even caused her difficulty falling asleep.

Ginny grinned broadly, her eyes lighting up at the idea. “Well now Miss Granger that is giving me something quite lovely to look forward to this evening. What a most excellent way for you to turn my frown upside down.”

Hermione snickered at that somewhat amused. Sometimes Ginny was such a prat. She purred out, “Well, I just couldn’t stand the thought of you being sad all night. You know that I would do anything to put a smile on your face.”

“Anything? Well, I do like the sound of that.” happily said Ginny, nuzzling against Hermione.

“Well now, let’s introduce you to Amy first before we get around to playing shall we. But once the lights go out missy, you are mine.” Hermione sort of growled those last words out rather possessively.

The both looked excited over that prospect.     


	38. Chapter 38

Thirty-eight

Hermione wished to all that she knew that she never got used to the pleasure she got waking up in Ginny’s arms. She always wanted it to be a special thing because it really was. The thin light of winter was filtering through gaps in her curtains, illuminating the room just enough that she could make out some of the details and she just looked at her girlfriend, watching her sleep, content in those arms. And in truth it wasn’t just the sleeping with her that made this so special, they had been sharing a bed together as girlfriends for months now up at school, but seeing her here, at her house, under her comforter all snuggled with a peaceful half-smile on her face was different. This felt more real to her in a way that Hogwarts didn’t and probably couldn’t. It was not that the school wasn’t real but that there was so much magic involved that it was a bit difficult to equate it to real life sometimes, or at least the real life she had grown up in for her first eleven almost twelve years before she set foot in Hogwarts. It seemed at times as if nothing there really had any consequence on this world, on the rest of the world, as if it were apart from everything. But this, this moment here, in this house, in her bed and under her comforter, this was real, this had substance, this had weight and form, this had consequence and a permanence to it that she wanted more than anything. This was real life, the real life she craved.

Just seeing her sleeping in such a normal setting, no castle walls, no school colors, no House Elves on call, no torches or candles, just an unconscious redhead holding her close so that the faint smell of stale sweat, body odor and last night’s sex hung on her skin made her heart beat just a little bit stronger, made her desire for the girl just a little bit deeper. She knew that breakfast would have to be made for them by hand as they did not have a magical kitchen to rely on. This was the real world and not some magical almost fairytale castle. Lying there she could picture morning after morning with this to look forward to and she could not hold back the smile that threatened to split her face. This really was the girl she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, the girl who had her heart completely and utterly, the one who had taken it in her dreams and there were no regrets. Ginny had been so wonderful and perfect that Hermione had no hope but to fall utterly and completely in love with her. It was magic.

Of course the girl had faults, everybody did. She was Weasley to a fault, much to Hermione’s consternation. Though she had to admit that her habits were a good bit on the better side of Ron’s and at least she ate like a human being. That had certainly been a trade up. Yes she had a bit of a disregard for her own life and limb while playing that bloody sport that made Hermione’s heart lodge in her throat but she could not deny that it made her so alive that she couldn’t begrudge her that. How could she? Besides she had grown used to that watching Harry over the years. There were other minor things but the months of living together were wearing the edges down on those. Sure this was not the love that Hermione had imagined when she had been reading Grimm’s Fairy Tales in Primary School and picturing what it must be like to have found your true love and having an amazing magical wedding nevertheless the reality of this love she had with Ginny was so much truer and more magical than anything she had imagined.

Moving slowly, Hermione brushed some errant hairs from Ginny’s face, tucking the red strands behind the girl’s ear gently. She just wanted to better see her face. The freckles were adorable and she did enjoy amusing herself by trying to find patterns in them, constellations or whatnot. She loved the soft arch of her brows, the softness of her lips, her cute nose, that fierce determined look she got while fighting and the separate but similar one she got while playing. She loved the way when Ginny got this sort of mischievous playful look on her face that her lips and eyes sort of mirrored each other. Hermione had no idea how Ginny did that but it was fascinating. Her hands, she loved Ginny’s hands, so strong and yet soft at the same time. How she managed that Hermione had no idea as she had expected them to have calluses from playing Quidditch. It still surprised her when she came off the Pitch and ran her hands down the skin of Hermione’s arm, that lack of roughness. She knew Ginny wore gloves a lot of the time when she played and her mum must have taught her something to help with that as well because she knew Harry had some. Really, Hermione was at a loss to think of something about Ginny that she didn’t love. Her girlfriend was just completely amazing in every way that she could think. Was there any surprise she had swooned like she had?

Now her only wish was that Mrs. Weasley would stop being… well, honestly, her for a bit so she would stop hurting her amazing daughter like she was. How could such a normally loving woman hurt such a remarkable daughter? It made Hermione want to go over to the Burrow and have words with the woman, an in person Howler. Sometimes Mrs. Weasley made her so mad that she could just throttle her and this wasn’t the first time. Fourth year was and the summer before fifth were pretty forefront in her mind but not alone. She really would do that as well if it weren’t for the fact that she was sure that it wouldn’t have a noticeable effect on things and might even make things worse overall. Weasleys were just too stubborn by half and they all seemed to have inherited that particular trait from their mother far more than their father. Maybe she should get a hold of Fleur and rant about the woman for a bit. Now there was a woman who had some shared opinions about the Weasley matriarch. Perhaps Ginny would enjoy the opportunity to vent to a friendly ear for a bit as well. Besides Bill might be there and Hermione knew how much Ginny loved her oldest brother. It might make for a good lunch trip, she would check with Ginny after breakfast to see what she thought.

As she was thinking these things there was a slight movement, a twisting of the body holding her. Ginny fluttered her brown eyes open, looking at Hermione softly. She said sleepily, “Mornin’.”

“Morning beautiful.” Hermione answered, grinning at the yawn.

Ginny smiled, her eyes crinkling. “Love you.”

“Love you too. Feel better?” asked Hermione, wondering if her girlfriend were less emotionally jangled after a serious shagging and a good night’s rest. It had been the best therapy she could devise at short notice. She hoped it had worked.

Ginny nodded and then yawned again, wider this time. “I do. Thank you for everything.”

“Hey now… I know you would do it for me,” protested Hermione. “So how could I do any less?”

“And you would thank me as well, so just accept it,” countered Ginny, not giving any ground.

“What do you want to do today?” Hermione knew that no matter what she might have in mind that her girlfriend’s desires came first. She was the one who had been hurt after all and she was the one who needed to be taken care of.

“I don’t know ‘mione. I really don’t. After last night maybe just sit around and do a lot of nothing because I’m still feeling a bit overwhelmed. I honestly did not expect that. I thought she might be a bit upset over this but nothing to that degree. I… it was kind of scary Kitten and I wished you had been there to support me.” Ginny sniffled a little.

Hermione leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. “I’m sorry love. You did not deserve that. I really wish that hadn’t happened to you.”

“Me to.” Ginny pulled her closer, sighing in contentment.

Hermione kissed Ginny on the forehead again and then on the lips lovingly. It started soft but as neither pulled away it grew deeper and deeper, not filled with wild, raw passion but warm affectionate passion. Since she was in the best position for it, Hermione ran her free hand up Ginny’s torso, alongside her neck and into her hair, letting fingers play as they continued kissing. Ginny began rubbing her back and it was taking all she had not to purr in pleasure at the sensation.

They continued kissing for a while, just enjoying themselves, in no rush to go further and then Hermione slid her hand from Ginny’s hair to trail it back down her body to start circling her breast. Ginny moaned in her mouth and Hermione’s eyes crinkled in a smile, not stopping what she was doing and enjoying the response. Her palm slid over Ginny’s nipple, enticing it to grow more erect, rolling it briefly before cupping and squeezing in that way her girlfriend enjoyed so much. Breaking the kiss, she nipped her was to the neck, kissing and licking the skin there, tugging lightly on the earlobe then sucking. Moans told her how this was being received which only drove her on.

After suitable time there, her lips trailed kisses down to the opposite breast, kissing the nipple once before running her tongue round the course of the areola, delighting in the tightening flesh, the way it rippled the skin, the way the nipple engorged. Sucking a good bit of breast into her mouth, Hermione kept up the suction as her tongue flicked the nipple in a matching rhythm to her hand, eliciting a deeper moan. She changed her squeezing to more direct nipple play, loving how sensitive Ginny’s breasts were. Increasing her intensity with both fingers and tongue, she kept it up until she felt the slight shudder that let her know that her Vixen had cum once.

She bit the nipple lightly, enjoying how Ginny breathed in sharply, jumped a bit and thrust her chest up. Her hand moved from where it had been playing, sliding down her belly to play with the muscles there briefly. Gin wriggled some and Hermione flicked the nipple she was still attached to with her tongue and nipped it briefly, distracting her. She slid down the outer thigh, up the inner thigh, scratching lightly with her nails and came to rest cupping her.

“Oh Merlin… don’t… please…” begged Ginny, words breaking apart.

Hermione was amused at how much Ginny needed her touch. Not that she would have done better in her place but it was amusing. She worked her fingers into the folds, sliding down to slick her fingers first with some of Vixy’s wetness before moving back up to find the clit. Wiggling it back and forth quickly a few times, making Ginny gasp again, throwing her head back into the pillow, she changed up and began to slowly circle the firm nub, brushing it just enough to keep fanning the flames of her girl’s passion higher. The moaning began to mix with panting, hips bucking to try and get more contact. Hermione kept circling, feeling lesser tremors roll through Gin and just knew that this one would be good when she finally let her go.

“Kitten…” The want in Ginny’s voice was making her so wet that she was sure it was pooling, ready to spill over. That sound of desperation when she kept her redhead at the edge, so close yet not quite taking her over was a thing of beauty. “Please… Otter…”

The panting and bucking were joined with this mewling as she had been teasing Ginny for seven, eight minutes now, keeping her right there, right on the precipice, taking her closer, where her breathing grew ragged, backing off, denying her the pressure to drive that orgasm home. Having alternated from breast to neck and now lifting her mouth from Ginny’s breast, she regarded her girlfriend’s face, saw the glazed eyes, saw the need, that delicate agony of pleasure and smiled predatorily. It was time. She stopped the circling, instead sliding fingers down and in, hooking into that spongy ridge while her thumb went to the clit. Squeezing her hand in time, increasing the pace and intensity, she looked Ginny right in the eyes as the girl quickly began the fluttery squeezing around her fingers, tightening to the point where they almost hurt but still Hermione moved them, her thumb flying. Choked moans, gasps and groans filled the room. Ginny’s back arching off the bed, internal muscles so tight that Hermione could barely move her fingers, but her thumb was still able to flick her clit. Her hand ached under the pressure but there was no way she was going to stop. Not even remotely. This was too beautiful.

Finally Ginny weakly waved her off, unable to find her voice to tell her to stop, that what she felt was too much. Unable to pull her hand free because of how tight it was being held, she stilled her hand to help her Vixen come down, to lessen the sensations. Her hand was soaked, more so than had ever happened. When the muscles released, Hermione pulled her hand free, causing Ginny to shudder and moan. Brown eyes fluttered open, watching her with a sort of dazed happiness so to push things a bit further Hermione licked her fingers clean. This made Vixy close her eyes and shudder again making Hermione giggle. She leaned down and kissed her girlfriend on the lips, taking the time to make it soft and sensual, saying, “Good Morning.”

“I… you…” Ginny dropped her head back down, enjoying another post orgasmic aftershock. She swallowed and blinked a few times, trying to settle back into herself.

“I see. Well, there’s no helping it then, I guess I’ll need to take things in hand.” Hermione slid a hand down and between her own swollen and wet lips. She watched Ginny, eyes roving over the redhead’s naked and flushed body as her fingers found just the right spot.

Ginny just lay there, watching as Hermione brought herself to several orgasms, trembling against her body as each one hit. She sighed in contentment as she finished up, “Much better. Can you move yet Vixy or did I break you?”

“I don’t know. But that was a wonderful way to wake up.”

“Yes it was.” Knowing that if she didn’t do something she was going to fall back asleep, Hermione asked, “Want to get up and get some breakfast?”

“I’m not hungry yet but I could stand getting up.” Ginny smiled softly at her. “Besides, I figure we both could use a shower after our playtime.”

“There may be something to that,” agreed Hermione.

They untangled themselves and got to their feet. Ginny stretched her hands above her head, rising up on her toes. Her eye drawn to the taut muscles of Ginny’s legs and butt, Hermione smiled at the sight. It was just so lovely. There were certainly benefits in dating an athlete. Yes, this was indeed a good way to wake up. She made appreciative sounds.

When they made it downstairs after getting ready and freshening the air in the room, Simon was happy to see Ginny and he rushed over to hug her. With his head still against her, arms tight about her waist, he asked, “Are you okay?”

Ginny chuckled some at that, knowing how protective he was of his friends, how sensitive he was to his friend’s moods, and said, “I’m fine Simon, thanks for asking. The hug helps. Morning Amy.”

The little girl shyly waved at her, “Good morning.”

Hermione could hear her mother in the kitchen and she headed that way, leaving Ginny with her new siblings. That was such a new and strange concept that it would take a while to really sink in. Siblings. She had siblings. Simon was her brother. How weird was that? He was her brother all because she said hi to him in the Common Room, noticed that something was wrong and took action. Life really took you funny places when you least expected it. Her mother was filling a large teapot with hot water from the kettle as she walked in. “Morning Mum.”

“Morning Hermione. Did the two of you sleep well?” Her mother quickly glanced over but continued to focus on what she was doing.

“Yes. Oh that reminds me, when we have a moment when Ginny is not around can we talk? I have some things to talk to you about.” asked Hermione, looking out towards the living room to ensure that her girlfriend could not overhear. She could see that Ginny was still occupied.

Her mother gave her this very understanding look and smile, pat her on the arm saying, “Of course dear. That would be fine. Now could you help me with breakfast? We have a rather full house right now and I could use a hand.”

“Sure. It is a bit strange having the house be this full. I am so used to it being the just the three of us or maybe us plus Gin after this summer that this is a bit overwhelming. But I can get used to it.” There was a sound of wonder in Hermione’s voice as she said that. It really was different to start having near Weasley numbers in the house. “Even with people not being that loud, there is a lot more noise.”

Laughing lightly, her mother indicated that she should get to the toast, saying, “So true. Your father and I had gotten used to the quiet without you here during the school year and to suddenly get a six year old… well it has certainly been an adjustment.”

Hermione bit her lip as she thought. She had the inkling of an idea that could help her family and possibly be a good thing but she wasn’t sure how her Mum would take it. The worst she could say was no after all. The best, well… the best would be a yes. “Well, if you want I can try and get a House Elf to help out around the house. You could have them help you and dad with keeping the house clean, the clothes washed and such, maybe even watch Amy occasionally so you two could have a break.”

“I thought you said they were slaves?” Her mother’s tone was more questioning than disapproving, clearly trying to get information before jumping to any conclusions. She wished she had done that back when she had first heard about House Elves.

“That’s what I thought as well but I was wrong. After Dobby died rescuing us and Harry told me some of the things that had been kept from me, I talked to some House Elves about their lives and their bond to their families. It was not what I thought it was. What I learned is that it isn’t a purely subservient relationship; there are benefits for them in it as well. This is sort of a trade. They effectively give service to the family for access to magical energy that they need to survive. That’s a very rough explanation but that’s it,” clarified Hermione.

“Then how could we have a House Elf?” Her mother seemed a bit confused by things. “We can’t really provide them with any magic.”

“Amy. Because she is magical and lives here and because of the fact that there is residual energy from me living here you could have a House Elf help you out. With Simon living here as well until he leaves school that will help as well. Even afterwards, once Amy goes to school, until she leaves school that should work. Afterwards I guess the Elf could come and stay with one of the three of us at night or something and help you out the rest of the time.” Hermione shrugged, offering up her best idea she could think of.

“You seem fairly sure of this.” Her mother had an eyebrow raised.

With a shake of her head, Hermione said, “Not really, this is all guess work at this point. I don’t know of any non-magical families that have House Elves so I’m not sure if this will work or not. There are a number of things I don’t know but it is worth a shot in order to make life easier on you both. The fact that you got Amy and Simon is also a surprise and gives me hope that things might actually be different in the future. The new Minister, Kingsley, he’s a good man.”

Her mother stared at her for a minute and the toaster popped breaking her out of her reverie. She asked, “You know the Minister of Magic by his first name?”

“Yeah I do and yes it is a bit strange. He was in the Order of the Phoenix and we fought together at the Ministry, in getting Harry from Privet Drive, and at the Battle of Hogwarts. I like him, trust him, and think he will make a good minister. He’s been making good decisions so far.” Hermione switched the toast around then sliced the two finished pieces, laying them on a plate.

“Okay then. Well… perhaps we should look into this whole House Elf thing if you think it is a good idea. Getting more help around the house would be lovely since you know how much your father and I work. We are trying to change that some but it’s been a challenge.” said her mother.

“Well, I wanted to run into Diagon Alley over break to check on my new vault and I can ask the Goblins there if they can help me with that. Paying them for that assistance rather than to just ask up at Hogwarts will probably help make amends for destroying their bank and accidentally getting some of the Goblins killed. I want to build as many bridges as possible.” said Hermione. “But if they can’t help I can always ask at school to see if there is anyone who might want to come and work for you.”

“Right. Well let’s finish up here and feed our loved ones. I’m sure their hungry.” Her mother smiled at her and gave her a wink, causing Hermione to blush.

They carried the food and tea out to the dining room and saw that the table was already set. Ginny grinned at them and said, “Well, I just wanted to do my part to help and Amy was a great assistant.”

Hermione came over and kissed her on the cheek as she sat down next to her. Amy giggled when she saw that and Ginny winked at her saying, “Oh, did you want one as well?”

The girl kept giggling and said, “No I don’t need a kiss.”

Ginny frowned a little and said, “Well okay but if you don’t want it is it okay if I give your’s to someone else?”

Amy nodded and so Ginny turned and kissed Hermione on her cheek. Hermione blushed a little, pleased by the action which made Amy giggle even more. Her mother rolled her eyes, shaking her head at their antics. “You two… honestly.”

After her father came down, breakfast went well and was appreciated by all. Once finished and the dishes were taken into the kitchen and done, the family was sitting in the living room relaxing together, talking about inconsequential things and the days plans. Hermione was on the couch holding Ginny with Amy next to them when there was a knock at the door. Everyone stared at each other as it was clear that no one was expecting anyone. The two girls drew their wands and stood, the memories of the war still with them and coloring their actions. Hermione gestured to Ginny to stay with her parents while she went to the door. She got a brief nod of agreement. Wand at the ready, she looked through the peephole and saw that it was Mr. Weasley standing there, looking a touch awkward. She lowered her wand alongside her leg.

Opening the door cautiously, Hermione asked, “Can I help you Mr. Weasley?”

“Yes Hermione. Is Ginny here by any chance? She wasn’t with George or Bill and Fleur, so I figured she might be here. I… well it was more likely she was here anyway as… I mean since you’re her girlfriend and all. So I was hoping… I mean…” He was getting more flustered as he went on, clearly at a loss for what it was that he wanted to say. He looked at her, worry plain on his face. “Is she here?”

She opened the door wider, smiling at the agitated man. She nodded in answer as she said, “Come in Mr. Weasley.”

“Thank you Hermione.” He sounded so relieved when he said that. Doffing his coat and hat, he followed her inside and to the living room. He smiled broadly when he spotted Ginny and rushed over to hug her, holding her tight in his arms. “Oh Ginny, I’m so glad you’re okay. I was worried about you.”

Hermione could hear that Ginny was trying to hold back tears when she said, “Daddy.”

“I was very disappointed with your mother last night and after your spat she and I spoke long into the night about this. I demanded to know why she would treat you that way because disagreeing with you or not over this subject, this was still no cause to treat you in that manner.” Mr. Weasley sounded very serious, which was rather unusual for the man. This had clearly riled him up. Hermione was rather proud of him. She had always adored Arthur.

Her mother stood and asked, “Would you like a cup of tea Arthur?”

“Uh… oh, uh… no thank you. Perhaps later.” He smiled at her mother and turned back to his daughter. “From what I could gather from your mother, she has several reasons for her outburst or at least things she sees as reasons. One is that she has been dreaming of the perfect weddings for you and Ron for years with Harry and Hermione here joining the family and the lot of us becoming one big happy Weasley family. After she lost her brothers in the first war she really has become a touch obsessed with family which explains some of the rest of her issues in a few areas. With Fred dying and George getting injured and having been estranged from Percy for so long she has been desperate to keep the family together as much as possible in her particular view of how everything should be. She didn’t want anything to change as it made her feel helpless and out of control.”

“But Dad, that’s crazy.” stated Ginny, eyes wide, looking back and forth between him and Hermione, even to the Grangers as if they had so sort of answer.

“I know Firefly and I’m sorry you are facing the brunt of this. It’s just that your mother is desperately trying to hold on to things that cannot be held on to and it is frustrating her. Then there is the realization that with George living above the shop and Ron staying at the training site most of the time while he is learning to be an Auror and with you at school that very soon, probably by this summer given things, the house will be empty and all of you will have grown up and moved away, to start your own lives. I know it’s a normal part of life and you all have to do that but I think she feels that she won’t really be needed anymore. So I believe this is also her trying to hold on to that one last dream, one last golden moment that she can milk for all that it is worth. She doesn’t hate you love, not at all. She’s just scared and unsure of where life is going at the moment and unfortunately you caught her with a bit of a surprise at just the wrong time and she reacted poorly. This first Christmas without Fred is not going to be easy on any of us but it has been hitting her very hard. You know she loves you kids very much and that despite all her grumbling she was especially fond of the twins.”

Ginny was sniffling now, nodding her head as she was having a hard time saying anything. Tears were beginning to fill the corners of her eyes and Hermione was having that problem as well.

“After we talked, she realized that she may have seriously messed things up between you and wishes she could have reacted better. This was not how she wanted to react to you telling us about who you were seeing. She is very happy for you Ginny, she really is. Hermione, from the both of us we are very happy to know that you are dating our daughter. We thought you were going to date Ron there for a while but you ending up with a Weasley makes us feel very pleased indeed. You’re a very special girl and we’re happy to know that Ginny here makes you happy.” He smiled at hugged Hermione.

Both Ginny and Hermione were blushing brightly at this point, finding it difficult to look at each other. Her parents were grinning as were her new siblings. Simon was looking a bit teary eyed as well as they knew how upset he had been when he had heard what had happened to Ginny.

“Thank you Dad. She makes me very happy. I couldn’t have asked for a better girlfriend.” said Ginny, looking back at Hermione with a very loving and devoted gaze.

Hermione grinned and said, “Thank you Mr. Weasley. Ginny is wonderful and she makes me very happy.”

“Then that’s all that matters. Now you’ll all be there for the party, won’t you Martin, yes?” Mr. Weasley asked, looking between the different faces curiously. “It really wouldn’t be Christmas without you all there.”

“Absolutely Arthur. We’ve been looking forward to it. I know Patricia and I have been and Amy here has been very enthused.” replied her father.

“Wonderful. Ginny, do you think you could possibly come home with me? I know your Mother has a lot to say to you in person and I know that I would miss you. However, it is entirely your choice. I just want you to know that your mother is really scared that she has ruined things between the two of you and wants to make things right. You won’t be there for very much longer and far too soon you won’t be spending very much time living at the Burrow and we’ll miss you. I know she hurt you Firefly and you know some of the reasons why. So do you think you could maybe do that? For me?” asked Mr. Weasley, with a slight guilt trip that was more a pull on the heart strings than anything else. Hermione had to give him that.

Ginny shook her head, eyes wet with unshed tears, almost wanting to laugh. This was probably more than she expected when she woke up. “Sure Dad. Let me get my stuff.”

Grabbing Hermione by her hand, the redhead dragged her upstairs. Once they were in Hermione’s room Ginny turned to face Hermione and she had tears trickling slowly from the corners of her eyes. She looked at her clearly craving some sort comforting, “Do you think it’s true?”

“It certainly sounds like your mother and I don’t think your father would have come all this way if he hadn’t been serious about this. I think it has to be true,” answered Hermione giving her a soft smile.

Ginny nodded and hugged her. “Is it okay to be nervous?”

“Of course Vixy. Last night was horrible for you and being nervous is a perfectly natural response to everything after that. But I think you have to trust you dad here and believe that he has your best interests at heart. You know that he loves you. You’ve told me how he has doted on you forever and I don’t think that is going to change just because you’re in love with me. You’re his little girl. He would never do that to you Vixy.” said Hermione, trying to calm Ginny’s agitation. Sending her back to the Burrow this wound up would be like lighting a fuse and waiting for her and her mother to explode. For the sake of peace between mother and daughter she had to help bring her down.

Ginny rested her head against Hermione’s shoulder and chuckled softly, hands going around Hermione’s waist. “You’re right, you’re always right. It’ll be fine. I trust you. Besides it’s not like I can’t make it back here if I didn’t need to should things go badly.”

Hermione pulled back and kissed Ginny on her forehead, “Exactly. You know I’m always here for you Vixy and we’ll be there in a few days if nothing else. So talk with your mother. Relax at home. Spend time with your family. Buy my Christmas present if you already haven’t.” This elicited a laugh from the redhead. “And just have some fun because we will be heading back to school soon and then it’s NEWTS, Quidditch for you, and that’s about it.”

“Ugh… don’t remind me. I am so not looking forward to that, juggling classes and two more games. You’re going to go all crazy Granger on us come May aren’t you?” Ginny rolled her eyes  and scoffed.

“I beg your pardon?” retorted Hermione, mock affronted by the statement. There was no doubt as to what behavior Ginny was referring to as it was something that Harry and Ron got on her every year after the first. She was trying to get better but classes were important.

Ginny smirked and kissed her on the nose, “I love you Kitten.”

“I love you too Vixen. Now let’s get you packed so you can go home and talk with your Mum about all of this. The sooner you’re done the sooner you can relax. Make sure that you let me know what happened.” After one more hug they turned and got to packing.

It was an apprehensive Ginny that came down the stairs, being prodded slightly by Hermione. She shot her girlfriend a dirty look after she squirmed away which only earned her an amused smirk and a swat to her backside from Hermione. This made Ginny leap forward in surprise and got the others to laughing. The rounds of goodbye huggings started and Mr. Weasley came over to Hermione first. He embraced her warmly, saying, “You are very good for her Hermione. She is very lucky to have you.”

“I’m the lucky one Mr. Weasley. Ginny is amazing and I really do love her. I have never been so blessed.” Hermione gazed at Ginny the whole time she said that with an adoring grin on her face. Ginny missed the whole thing.

“Well then perhaps Molly’s dreams aren’t as dead as she thinks. Take care of yourself Hermione and I will see you for Christmas.” He grinned at her and moved on.

Ginny and she hugged and kissed goodbye, keeping it rather chaste for them given the fact that parents were present and watching. “Bye Gin. I love you.”

“I love you too. Bye ‘mione. See you soon.” Ginny waved and the two of them apparated away.

Hermione had a wry look on her face as she headed back to the living room. She went over and sat on the couch, pulling her feet under her and sighing. Amy was looking at her a bit funny and got up on the couch, sitting beside her. “You miss her already?”

“Yes Amy, she’s my girlfriend. I always miss her when she’s not there,” replied Hermione, since that was a very obvious statement, not that Amy knew.

The little girl moved closer and hugged Hermione, “I’m sorry she’s gone.”

Hermione pulled her new sister even closer, right into her lap, hugging the girl about the waist, “That happens sometimes. She has to talk with her mother to make sure everything is alright between them after the two of them fought last night. That is more important than her being here with me no matter how much I want her here. I love her and miss her but first things first.”

“She’s nice. I like her a lot.” Amy cuddled against her and Hermione smiled.

“Yes she is.” She noticed that her mother was grinning at the image they were presenting and Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly in amusement. She had to admit she kind of liked this as well, though Amy was heavier than expected.

“Simon told me she plays this game on a broom. Squidditch?” Amy really sounded unsure about the new word.

“The game is actually called Quidditch, but I will have to tell her about that. That’s pretty funny. She does and she’s brilliant at it. It is so amazing to watch her fly. Ginny wants to go on to play professionally and is good enough to do so. We can try to see if you all can come up to see one of the games at the school.”

Amy’s eyes got wide and she was clearly excited with the idea, “Can we? Can we really?”

“I can check with the Headmistress but I don’t see too much of a problem with making that happen. I can think of several ways around the Muggle Repelling wards that are nice and easy and getting you three there should be no issue. I mean we did it for the Ceremony so why not for this? I think there should be ways for Muggle parents to come visit the school like other parents.” Hermione directed some of that to her parents. Her father looked interested as she knew that he had been enjoying Quidditch Through The Ages and would doubtless want to watch a game. If only the wizarding world would get over their issue with parents of muggleborn.

“That would be wonderful Hermione.” He said with a grin. “I’m looking forward to it.”

They sat there for a while chatting, eventually watching a movie. When it was time to make lunch, Hermione went into the kitchen to help her mother. As they were getting things out to prepare the meal, her mother asked as an aside, “You wanted to talk?”

Hermione blushed, a touch embarrassed by the subject she wanted to bring up. It was hard to believe that she was going to be bringing this up but after the war and then almost losing Ginny a month ago she just had to do this. It was all that she had been able to think of in her free time. Life was too short and she wanted to seize what happiness she had and hold onto it forever. If no one and nothing else taught her that Tonks and Remus had. “Yeah. I’ve… well, I’ve been thinking of asking Ginny to marry me…”

“Really? And that’s legal in the Wizarding World?” Her mother seemed surprised.

“Yes, it actually is and has been for quite a while. While wizarding culture is backwards in quite a number of ways in others it’s not. This one surprised me and I was very pleased to say the least when I found out. The book I found with that information in it certainly made me excited.” explained Hermione, happy to share the knowledge she had gained.

“Right, go on,” said her mother with an amused smile.

“And well, I wanted to know if you thought it was a good idea, because I wanted to get her a ring and do this before we head back to school?” finished up Hermione a bit shyly, a touch embarrassed by this admission.

Her mother beamed at her and hugged her tight. “I know that you don’t make decisions without thinking seriously about them Hermione so why this and why now? If you can explain it to me then I can help you convince your father that it’s a good idea and help you make it happen. So what is your reasoning?”

Hermione took a deep breath, thought about Ginny, which gave her a smile and began to explain.


	39. Chapter 39

Thirty-nine

It had certainly been a conversation to remember. She had to explain about Ginny getting hurt at the match and how that made her feel, the thoughts it raised and everything. Once she had walked him through her reasoning for wanting to get engaged her mother joined in as she was behind her and thus they had a united front against anything he said. Hermione had to admit that it wasn’t much of a struggle but her father did see reason in the end. It also didn’t hurt her case that Amy and Simon both liked Ginny and had no problem saying so the few times they had come in the room and overheard that they were talking about the redhead. Amy especially was loud in her defense of Ginny, proclaiming her “the bestestest girlfriend.” Her father had thrown his hands up in defeat at that point and grumbled for a bit until Hermione hugged him and kissed him on the cheek, “I love you Dad.”

He hugged her back, giving her a concerned smile, saying, “So long as she makes you happy then I am okay with this. I understand why you’re not waiting to do this. After a scare like that I would probably have been in the same boat and that’s not even counting the whole surviving a war part of things. You know that I love Ginny, it’s just that I just worry about my baby girl.”

She had talked more with her mother after that, when her father had gone off for a drive to think. Amy had joined them and they talked about fathers and daughters, especially how hard it seemed to them to watch their little girls grow up. Amy got concerned and had to be reassured that her new father would be just like that when it came time for her to get engaged. After a little bit more her mom went to her jewelry chest, sliding open a drawer. She looked inside for a moment, as if deciding something before grabbing something. When she came back she was holding a ring in her hand. “I know this isn’t much compared to some more modern rings but this is the ring your father gave me when he proposed. I was always loved it and since we never had a son until now, I had always planned on giving it to you. I was the fourth Granger to wear it and I think it would be very fitting if you gave it to Ginny when you proposed. Wizards aren’t the only ones with family traditions you know.”

Hermione held the ring and was wowed. This was more than she had expected when she had planned on talking with her parents about this. She had expected what happened earlier, not this. Nothing like this. The ring was a white gold band with a brilliant cut diamond mounted on it, fairly plain by modern standards but all the more beautiful due to its simplicity. She loved it. “That’s lovely.”

“We can get it cleaned and resized for her quite easily. There is the jeweler I usually go to who does excellent work. If you know her ring size we can get this taken care of fairly quickly so you can give it to her over the holiday if you wanted.” said her mother, smiling at her fondly.

“Actually looking at it, I’m thinking I can probably get some spells cast on it that would allow for resizing and permanent cleanliness and such. The band seems to be both wide enough and thick enough for runes to be carved in there that can accomplish those things. There is that Jewelry store in the Alley that we’ve seen but never gone into and I think they would be able to handle something like this either with runes or spells. From what I remember reading it isn’t that difficult a task but requires someone with the proper skills to do it.” explained Hermione, clearly having thought about this topic already. “That way when I give it to her there would be no problem with it fitting her or anything. I think I would die of embarrassment if it didn’t fit when I asked her.”

Her mother chuckled a little, “That would work out just fine Hermione. I am sure it can all get taken care of. I would be interested in seeing what sort of things they manage to do with it. I wore it for years so this interests me.”

And all of that brought her here, walking into Diagon Alley with her bag, the ring she planned to give her girlfriend safely ensconced within, with three main tasks for the day lined up. First things first were her visit to Gringotts because she had to take care of business before pleasure. Besides, it would be easier to accomplish her other task if she knew how much she had available to spend. Knowing your upper limit was a good thing. As she was walking towards the bank with purpose, not really looking around, she was a bit surprised to note that people did not stop her and mostly just watched her pass with quiet looks of awe on their faces. She tried to avoid shaking her head at the stares she was catching in her peripheral vision and she was moderately successful at that task for the most part. At some point people would calm down over this whole her being a hero nonsense and stop gawking. Right? She grumbled internally when she recalled how well that had worked for Harry for whom the staring had only gotten worse.

Nervous about what she was about to discover, she opened the doors to the bank and stepped in, pausing at the threshold long enough to see what sort of reaction she would get from the guards. It would not take her long to flee from the bank if she had to and given how close she was to the doors a dragon would not be needed for this rapid departure. When one of the Senior Tellers walked over to her and bowed, she had to admit it was one of the last things she had expected when she had walked in here today. Glowering, a cold shoulder sure, but this? “Miss Granger, welcome and how can Gringotts assist you today?”

“Thank you. I was informed that I now have a good bit more in my own vault as opposed to the money my parents have been putting in there and I wanted to inquire about the balance.” Hermione was being very polite as was her want and knowing from Harry’s experiences that he got better service when he was polite and respectful. She had done some crazy things involving the Goblins in the last year and the last thing she wanted to do was offend them in any way. If this would help improve her relationship with them then she was completely behind it.

The goblin inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement. “Do you have your key with you?”

The Goblin was still being polite to her and this was really starting to creep Hermione out due to how abnormal this was. What was going on? Since when did she rate this kind of service? “I do.”

She handed it over with no further question and after taking it, the Goblin led her to a desk that provided them a bit more privacy than the normal teller windows granted. Once the Goblin checked the key to verify it was indeed hers, he then looked at her, stating, “I will also need a drop of your blood.”

Hermione raised an eyebrow, trying to figure this out. This was also not a normal procedure for her bank visits. She has never needed to have blood proof of any other transaction before. “Very well.”

She reached her hand across the table and allowed the Goblin to stab her with a needle that was used for these specific purposes. She recalled them doing that same thing when her vault was opened just before her first year, when her parents and she had come shopping that first time with Professor McGonagall. The droplet of blood was tapped onto a sheet of paper where it was absorbed and then spidery red letters of Gobbledegook moved across it which he read. He smiled at her, content with what he had read. “Security procedures you understand Miss Granger.”

“Yes of course.” She was not really sure as she honestly did not have that much in her vault before, well at least not much compared to a lot of those that were wizarding raised and she had no clue how much there was now after the money from the Ministry. Was that the reason for the increase in the security?

“What was it that you wanted done today?”

“I was curious what I now have in my vault? The Ministry gave me some money and I am interested in exactly how much it is.” Hermione really had no clue as there really had been no way to estimate the number of Death Eaters that had been recovered or arrested and then there had been all those killed before the war. If all of them had been accounted for who knew what had been in their vaults and thus what her portion of that… well bounty might be the best word. Why did it feel a little like she had gotten money for bringing in proof of kills though? She shuddered slightly.

The Goblin nodded then turned on his heel, speaking over his shoulder. “Very well. If you will follow me, I will take you to the office of your account manager and they can go over that information with you.”

Hermione gasped in surprise. “I have an account manager?”

A snort was the only response and the goblin continued on, expecting her to follow her. This was behavior she was much more familiar with from goblins. The casual rudeness that indicated that the statement was wasting their time was honestly expected. It made her feel on more even footing and was calming. Hermione was a bit shaken though since to have an account manager meant she had to have a substantial amount of money, certainly a great deal more than she had before. If not, there would be no need to assign a single person to the account to keep track of it. What the hell was going on? Just how much money had there been in the combined vaults of all those Death Eaters? And what was this going to do to the economy, this influx of Galleons? She swallowed heavily as she realized that the implications of this action by the Ministry were a lot more profound than she had initially thought.

The goblin gestured her through a door where there were a pair of seats in front of a very nice desk. There was a well-dressed Goblin seated across from the chairs with a rather thin ledger in front of him. He looked up from his work and said, “Miss Granger, I am Throatrender, the account manager assigned to your vault.”

“I am honored to meet you Throatrender.” Hermione bowed her head slightly, recalling the goblin manners she had been briefed in prior to them coming here back in September. That had been a great help then and even more so now. Anything to give her a leg up.

The Goblin only nodded at her. “I have the full accounting of your vault right here. Your account prior to the recent influx of capitol stood at 328 Galleons 8 Sickles and 13 knuts or 1,619 Pounds and 49 Pence from the total deposited amount of 700 Galleons or 3,500 Pounds. Are there any discrepancies with those numbers Miss Granger or are we in accord?”

Hermione shook her head. She had thought she had less in her account than that so this accounting was a pleasant surprise. All it had been used on was school supplies and extra books, even dress robes, but honestly she rarely pulled that much from her account at any time so those numbers did make sense. Perhaps being worried about your safety such that it kept you from the bank was good for your finances overall. A year on the run certainly did wonders for your finances as she hadn’t spent any wizarding money for a larger chunk of the last year. “I do not doubt your numbers.”

This seemed to startle the Goblin a little but he recovered quickly. Clearly wizards didn’t trust goblins much, which seemed dumb to her. “Due to the accounting of seized Death Eater and sympathizer vaults and properties done by Gringotts which was completed on the 17th of October of this year, once divided into the allotted shares, you had an influx into your account on the 31st of October of 823,579 Galleons 9 Sickles and 15 Knuts, partial or total ownership in 8 businesses and the deeds to two properties: a manor in the Lake District and a well-appointed summer home on the Isle of Wight. Not counting in the value of properties and businesses, including quarterly earnings, that brings your current net worth to 823,908 Galleons and 28 knuts or 4,061,866 Pounds and 72 Pence.”

Hermione goggled at that, barely able to comprehend what she was hearing. Were those numbers actually real? It was such an amazingly large sum of money that her mind had trouble really grasping onto it. Was she actually a millionaire? If those numbers were right that meant that the Ministry had seized nearly ten million Galleons. It was more than enough to make her head swoon. “I… uh… I…”

“In addition, as a thank you from the Goblin Nation for your assistance in bringing about our… current status in regards to the Ministry, the Director himself authorized a further compensation pulled from the accounting. You will also find in your Vault, when you go down there that it has been moved as you needed a larger space, there will be a few Object d’Art and items that are more commonly thought of as familial Heirlooms that are not linked solely through blood. They are a mere trifling and had more value to us as gifts to you than further tallies for the Ministry as we were aware of their resale value in relation to what it could mean to you. We foresee the House of Granger becoming one of influence shortly in wizarding society and as… I believe the term the Director used was a friend to Gringotts, we do not wish for you to start out on the wrong foot.” Throatrender was staring right at her as he said that and she met his eyes, remembering that as a warrior race that they preferred those that did not flinch from their steely gaze.

“I am honored that I was able to assist the Goblin Nation in this manner and doubly honored to be considered a friend. It was a correction in status that was long overdue. I am sorry what it took for us to get there.” said Hermione, hoping her voice wasn’t shaking as much as she thought it was. The implications of what he was stating were staggering. A friend to the Goblin Nation? That was almost more stunning than the amount of money she now had. And the fact that they hadn’t publicized this fact was telling as well.

“Indeed. Well-spoken Miss Granger. Is there any other business you wished to transact at this time?” Throatrender asked.

“Uhm… uh… oh yes, two things actually. I have this ring I need to get enchanted as soon as possible. Do you know anyone who would be a good source for that?” asked Hermione, hoping that he would be able to guide her to a decent jeweler who did good work somewhat fast. Clearly affordability was not much of an issue any longer not with what she had in her account. She guessed that the jeweler in the Alley would be best but why not get advice from someone who might know more about the subject.

“May I see the ring?” Throatrender asked, sounding somewhat interested.

Hermione pulled the ring out from her bag and smiled when she saw it, thinking of Ginny and what she was going to ask her. It already had positive thoughts and memories for her and she hadn’t even given it to her girlfriend. She looked up at the goblin and held it out, “Here it is.”

The Goblin took it carefully in a claw, turning it to see it from different angles, how the stone caught the light and so he could better examine the metal. “And what did you wish done to it?”

“I definitely want a sizing charm and a self-cleaning charm. Perhaps either a radiant charm or a brilliance charm in order to make the metal and the stone brighter but I’m not sure about that. It’s an engagement band and I’m not sure of all of the other things that are often added to those.” Her voice softened at the end when she said that, unconsciously.

Throatrender looked up at her, an eyebrow quirked, “Yours?”

“Oh no. I am going to be asking my girlfriend to marry me on the New Year. I can’t think of a better way to start the New Year off than with such a moment of joy and hope. I wanted the work done as fast as possible so I could have it with me ready to go.” Hermione’s eyes were only on the ring and their future. She was already starting to make plans for her proposal and hoping that they would play out as she wanted them to. She was thinking of taking Ginny out into London that evening, maybe dinner, a show and then be somewhere appropriate when the time came. She liked the idea of Greenwich but wasn’t sure if Ginny would get the reason behind it. This would require more thought.

With a smirk, Throatrender replied, “I see. Well, just so you are aware that is a service that Gringotts can provide to our more preferred clients for a fee naturally or there are several excellent jewelers in Diagon Alley who might suit your needs as well. We can get it done and have one of our secure owls bring it to you if you wish, for fastest delivery.”

Again taken aback by that unexpected revelation, Hermione tried to avoid gaping in surprise. The Goblins were not known for offers of this nature and this discussion was keeping her off balance. She was trying to keep track of things and not say anything stupid, ending up insulting her account manager. As politely as she could manage she said, “I would love to have the ring worked on by the Goblin Nation. Your work is of high renown and that would be absolutely stunning addition to my families ring.”

“We will send it to you by owl once completed and deduct the cost of the work from your vault. Do you authorize such?” he asked pleasantly.

“I do. Provided that I am given an accounting of the service and if the amount looks wrong I will be able to have it judged by a third party so I may seek redress if I am wronged.” There was no way that Hermione was going to let them have that kind of free reign with her account. She was a student of history after all and knew the kinds of things that had happened before that had started wars. Did they think she was stupid? “I am aware that this is merely the cost of enchanting the ring and not making it and enchanting it. There is a vast difference. I am also aware that since the ring is already made that enchanting it does not make it fall under the usual Goblin loan rules.”

He grinned at her, obviously pleased by her answer, and said, “That would be perfectly fine Miss Granger. You said there was a second matter?”

“Yes. My parents work full time and need some assistance in watching my new sister and keeping the house. I am unsure how one goes about hiring a House Elf as they could use the help and someone familiar with magic would be the best help possible,” explained Hermione.

“You said hire and not buy, is that correct?” Throatrender seemed intent on her answer.

“Yes. I am aware of their need to bond with a family but the general treatment they receive by a number of families is appalling. To be treated as such is simply wrong. I would like to hire an elf that will be bound to my family by magic and contract such that if the elf is displeased with their treatment they may leave and perhaps activate a penalty clause of some sort on our family, if their departure is due to poor treatment. I know that my family won’t treat them that way but it will make me feel better to have something like that in there, so that the elf sees that we are serious. I want it to be fair to all parties and I want the contract to include wages. I know that they will not want much so I figure 8 knuts a month is the best I can expect an elf to accept.” Hermione had been thinking about this contract for a while, ever since she had spoken with the Hogwart’s Elfs. To her it sounded like a way to fix the problem with poor treatment of House Elfs if only she could make something like this standard. She had looked into various employment contracts and found some variations that might just work out for everyone.

There were a few moments of quiet before Throatrender said, “I believe we can assist you in making this happen. Do you happen to have a copy of such a contract or notes of what you are looking for?”

With a happy grin to hear that her idea was not being ignored. She opened her bag and pulled out her notes she had compiled. “Here you go.”

Throatrender scanned over them and nodded. “That should help. Is that all?”

Hermione smiled and nodded, “Yes that will take care of things for now. I think I will come back later for the details about the properties and businesses. Visiting the vault will happen then.”

“Excellent. I believe doing business with you will be a pleasure Miss Granger.” Her account manager seemed quite pleased with things.

“You as well Throatrender.”

A bit stunned by the revelations of the day, Hermione made her way out of the clean lines and white marble of the bank and back into Diagon Alley in a bit of a daze. She needed a dose of normality after all that heady and somewhat world shaking information and unfortunately all she had planned was a meeting with George. Not much normality involved there. Her head was spinning with all those numbers. They were large numbers, far larger than she had expected and she was having some difficulty connecting those numbers to herself. She now owned properties and parts of businesses, maybe even a few businesses outright? That was insane. And she was rich, maybe not compared to say what the Malfoys and other families had before but certainly far more than she had expected to make while working. Even in the muggle world making that much money in her lifetime would have been a big stretch unless something extraordinary occurred. And that bonus of Art and Heirlooms? What was up with that? This was far more than Hermione had ever dreamt of and it was dazzling. Ginny was going to flip. That made her wonder just how much she had gotten in her share. Now was so not the time to dwell on this and spin herself farther from reality.

She walked into the shop, and the discordant noise cleared her mind of anything else. It took her a few moments searching through the crowds but she spotted George helping a customer. Now that she thought more about it, this might not be the best time for a meeting, as it was before Christmas and thus one of the busier times for the store. On the other hand she did have things to give him and he would love to get his hands on those. It would be his call. She caught his eye and he nodded at her, indicating that he saw her. When he finished with that customer he came over and smiled at her, “Well, how is the fair curly haired corruptor of my sister?”

Hermione rolled her eyes, glad that no one was really close enough to hear what was being said or she might just have to kill him. She would apologize for it but Ginny would understand. “Just fine George. How are you doing?”

“Much better. Dating seems to be good for me for some unknown reason. Who knew? Is there a particular reason for this social call or did you just want to drop by to bug me? It’s not that I’m not happy to see you but business and all.” He gestured to the fairly filled store as he said that.

“I am aware of that George so I won’t take up too much of your time. I just wanted to drop by, say hello and hand off a few more of the journals. I even have some copies of some more recent notes that might be of some interest to you.” Hermione smiled sweetly and reached into her bag, pulling out the pile of journals and papers she had tied up with string earlier that day.

“More recent journals? How? There aren’t any of the Marauders left Hermione so how could there be any new material?” George was honestly confused by this, looking between the stack and her as if that would provide the answers.

“Who said anything about the new material being from them?” She really was trying to be as sweet and as innocent as she could be, something she knew that Luna and Ginny no longer believed and it was taking everything she had not to start giggling. This really was fun. She could begin to see why the twins did this sort of thing all the time.

George gaped at her as the knut dropped. He blinked a few times, brought a hand up to cover his mouth and push it closed. Eyes filling with pride he then suddenly pulled her into a tight hug. It sounded like there were actual tears in his voice when he said, “I think I love you Hermione Jean Granger. Does that mean that the things up at Hogwarts that I heard about…?”

“It does. Your sister and I.” Her smile was very broad and almost hurt her face. She had never seen George this gobsmacked before and it was wonderful. This would be a memory to cherish for all time. The only sad part of this whole thing was that Ginny was not here to see it. She would have to see if she could use a pensieve to show Ginny this whole thing because otherwise Hermione was not sure she would be believed. Words alone would never be able to convey just how strange this was and how she knew it would probably never happen again.

“Merlin… if only Fred could hear you now he would be so pleased. We always knew that if you ever got over being so rules focused you would be brilliant at this, absolutely brilliant. Thought that for years but knew it ever since we saw your Patronus. From what I’ve heard about the events up at Hoggy Hoggy Hogwarts there have been some amazing pranks occurring that no one can figure out. Brilliant stuff based off the descriptions. Of course it would be you and baby sis. Who else could come up with things like that?” George looked so proud he almost seemed ready to cry.

Hermione closed the distance and hugged George. “I had plenty of good inspiration from several sources, including you and your brother. I certainly learned a lot doing it as it really requires you to think about magic differently, so it’s all thanks you in a way.”

George hugged her back, saying “You are most welcome. And thank you so much for these journals. They have been so helpful. Moony has been able to help me keep some of Fred’s ideas alive and that has helped me more than you will ever know. It’s almost like having him here again which helps.”

“You think me seeing you smile isn’t a good thing, doesn’t make me happy? I can tell you that Ginny and I have both missed it. I know it hurts and it will probably always hurt somewhat. When I got that bequest from Remus, it was a godsend because I knew that I could use it to help you. Sure it really has helped me, but helping you was far, far more important in the long run. I’ve known you about as long as I’ve known Harry and Ron, so of course I was torn up by what happened. You and your brother were some of my first friends and I could never give up on you. So I took this chance on trying to help you and I am so grateful that it worked out to the benefit of us both.” Hermione smiled shyly at him, a bit embarrassed to be sharing her reasoning with him but figured that he needed to hear it.

With a soft chuckle and a slight shake of his head, George hugged her again, “You are a good woman Hermione Granger. Thank you for your help. I would have had trouble keeping up the store but you gave me an extra push. I hope my sister knows just how lucky she is to have you.”

Thinking about how much she loved Ginny and how much Ginny said she loved her, Hermione replied, “Oh, I think she knows.”

Verity called out from the register, that had a number of people around it, “Oi, George!”

The lanky redhead sighed and shook his head, “Well, back to work I go. You take care and I will see you at Christmas. Expect some fun surprises in your stocking young lady. I need to make sure you are well stocked for when you return to school with all the supplies to help in your quest.”

Laughing as she walked out of the store, Hermione waved goodbye and turned towards the Leaky Cauldron. She felt warm inside from her conversation with George and a lot more calm than she had been earlier. In a lot of ways it seemed like she, George and Harry were all healing nicely from the trauma from earlier that year, which was a good thing. Even Ginny was doing far better than she had at the start of the summer, moving past her grief at the loss of Fred and the trauma of the previous school year. If only things were better in a few areas then life would practically be perfect. There had been so much death that the joy they had found made all the difference with them. She bumped into someone and almost fell over, thankful that she was able to catch her balance.

She said sorry at the same time the other person did and they both froze, recognizing the others voice. Hermione swallowed nervously. Of all the people in magical Britain to run into, Ron.

Looking up, she saw that Ron was there with veiled features, clearly trying to keep how he was feeling a secret from her. That in itself was telling and worried her a little. Not that he was really all that good at it but still this was just what she needed right now, a potential fight if he were still mad at her. “Hey there Hermione.”

“Hello Ron.” She stayed polite and kept any tension out of her voice.

“Uh… can we talk?” He sounded a bit nervous as he asked that which was a somewhat encouraging sign. There were only flickers of it on his face so he was learning but she still knew him too well for him to try this. Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as she had feared?

“Sure. Where do you want to go?” What did he want to talk about? It had better not be about them and his desire to date her because that would be a very short conversation and might just be a painful one for him depending on how it played out. Just walking out on him would not make any friends either but it would serve to show him how she felt on the matter. If push came to shove this could be bad. What exactly was the punishment for hexing an Auror trainee? Maybe she needed to peruse the legal statutes. That might be fun for after school.

“How about in the Leaky Cauldron?” He offered.

She followed him into the pub and they got a seat in a corner that was somewhat removed from other seats after he had grabbed them some butterbeers. It clearly looked like this corner had been set up for this sort of thing. With a quick flick of her wand she set up some privacy spells as she was well aware that he did not want this conversation overheard. Honestly, she didn’t want it overheard either as this was their business and not something to be shared with the rest of the wizarding world. Sadly this would qualify as news and would be splashed all across The Daily Prophets front page. Once that was accomplished she replaced her wand and focused on Ron, “What is it Ron?”

“What happened with us Hermione?” He asked, looking down at the wood of the table.

“What do you mean?” She really wished he would be a touch more specific in this instance as there were a couple of options for answers. Where exactly was he taking this.

“Weren’t we happy?” He looked up at her, looking a bit lost, needing her to make it all better.

Hermione closed her eyes and sighed. That look had made her heart go out to him because in the end he still was her friend but it was clear that Ron wasn’t getting the real reason. This wasn’t much of a surprise now that she thought about it given that Ron was never all that introspective. She really couldn’t hold that against him. “No Ron, we really weren’t happy. We just thought we were.”

“I… uh… I don’t get it. I thought things were fine. I mean I knew I screwed up now and again and we fought but I tried. I know I did.” said Ron, apologetic.

“Oh Ron…” Hermione rubbed her forehead in an attempt to relieve the growing tension. She hated hurting him but knew there was no other way to drive the point home. “Yes parts of it were you, there is no denying that since we both know that, but in all honesty not most of it. Really Ron, it wasn’t you. Most of it had to do with me and my issues. Even if you had been absolutely perfect, the greatest boyfriend ever there is nothing you could have done that would have stopped me from being attracted to girls. Because of that it would have torn us apart. Looking back on it now, I really think I was with you because you were one of my two best friends and there was no real future for us. It was safe and comfortable. If I was with you then I wouldn’t be available for anyone else. So it wasn’t you Ron.” explained Hermione, hoping that it might finally get through to him. Thankfully this was Ron looking for answers rather than looking for them to get back together or for vengeance. She could deal with and work with that. If this was really the case then this should work.

“But I thought we loved each other. I know I loved you.” Ron was grasping for answers and clearly his own thoughts were not helping him. The pain in his voice was making her tear up but she fought against crying. Merlin it hurt to have done this to him. “I would never have been able to have found you in the forest if I hadn’t.”

“I’m not saying you didn’t love me. I’m not saying that at all. And I did love you Ron but in the end it was more like I love Harry, more like a brother than anything else. You are one of my best friends Ron and that’s far more important than a boyfriend. Despite our rocky start we have been together through some pretty rough times and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. I am trying to be truthful with you about this as you deserve to be happy and if we stayed together than I would have broken your heart,” explained Hermione, with a sad smile on her face.

Ron was trying to follow but so much of this was probably outside of his experience that it was clear that he was having a little bit of trouble keeping up. “How would you have done that?”

“Eventually I would have realized I was in love with your sister or at the very least that I was attracted to girls and if we had been married or had kids by then that would have been ugly as things fell apart. You would have hated me. I would have hated me. It would have been a terrible mess. You are a wonderful guy Ron and you don’t deserve that. You deserve someone who would love you for you not as a consolation prize. I would have hated to have done that to you, to us, tearing our lives apart, but I would have had to be true to myself if that had happened. After all we have gone through, we both deserve real love and not some dream of it.” Hermione was a bit saddened by that realization, as she knew it was true. When she would have realized that she was a lesbian, and it would have happened sooner or later, she would have torn her life apart and his in trying to come to terms with herself. It would have been messy and ugly and no one deserved that. This was so much easier and cleaner since they hadn’t truly dated, just grown closer. With a glance at her left arm she realized that in some ways Bellatrix had done her a favor, done them all a favor. Now that was irony.

Ron sat there nodding for a few minutes, processing the things she said. He had some of his butterbeer and frowned before looking up at her, “But my sister. Why my sister? Why her?”

Hermione rolled her eyes. Did he seriously want to get into this? Seriously? Part of her wanted to get up and leave at this point as she knew she didn’t have to deal with this shit and another part knew what Ron was trying to do, however clumsy. She knew very well what his emotional range was and time had not increased it too much. She had to work within the constraints required to get through to him. “Well why did you fall for Lavender in sixth year?”

“What? Why are you asking me that?” asked Ron, thrown by the change in tack.

“I mean, did you sit down and decide that Lavender was the one you wanted to pursue or did it just sort of happen? Which was it Ron?” Hermione pressed her questions on, noting how flustered that Ron was getting. He wasn’t angry, which was good, just not sure what was going on. That might mean she might get a real answer out of him.

“Uh… I… uh… well, she was interested in me and I liked that. She was attractive and… uh… she was really close to me after the match.” Ron furrowed his brow as if trying to figure out where she was going with this.

“So you liked that she was interested in her? It made you feel good? Feel special? Was that it?” She was making sure that her tone was not bitter or chiding in anyway while she spoke as she was trying to make a point with all of this, trying to use his words to drive things home. The hurts of that year were not important, besides her happiness now made that pain unimportant in the long run. What did Lavender and Ron snogging then mean compared to her wanting to marry Ginny now?

“Well yeah.” Ron said, as it was clearly obvious.

“Well because I am interested in girls and not boys you need to think of the girls around me. The only one I ever really connected to was Gin. I hadn’t really connected to Luna until Shell Cottage and by then I had already gotten established in my attraction to Ginny and had been for years. So when I realized that I was a lesbian I tried to fight against it, I truly did, but I guess my interest in her came through anyway, maybe even before I realized I was a lesbian it did. And what did you just say; you liked that interest, how it made you feel good, feel special? That could be how I got Ginny. Not because I was trying to hurt you or anything but because I was interested in your sister and she liked the attention and how it made her feel, liked how I treated her. Just like with you and Lavender back then.” Hermione was rather proud of herself for coming up with that particular explanation. She had no idea if it would help but it was the best chance she had of getting through his thick skull with anything less than a troll club. Using his own experiences to relating things to would make them far easier for Ron to understand them. If only she had a Quidditch metaphor.

Ron sat back in his chair and stared at her, a bit surprised. It seemed as if that way of looking at the issue had never occurred to him. She wasn’t really surprised by that fact. He took a drink of his butterbeer as he was processing what he had heard before speaking, which was a nice change of pace. All of them were growing up. “That’s really how that happened? Really?”

“Yes Ron, it is.” Hermione smiled at him. “I love you like a brother. You have been one of my dearest friends for years and I gave you my heart for a while, which I don’t regret. I am sorry I had to take it back though.”

Ron shrugged and fidgeted some in his seat. He had some more of his butterbeer and was clearly trying to change the subject when he asked, “What was this thing Harry talked to me about? Saying I might be messed up because of the War? I figure it had to come from you because honestly the only time either of us sounded smart was thanks to you.”

Closing her eyes and trying not to lash out at Ron for being his usual tactless self due to the way he had described the whole issue. Messed up? Hermione chose instead to focus on the complement tacked on the end when she said, “Yes, there is a muggle term for the problem called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is something that happens to people who face horrible things in war or other really intense situations. After they go through some sort of traumatic event, the stress of the even and the memories of it cause a number of problems. The wizarding world treats it as well but in a different manner and I don’t think they call it anything special, but it is something they recognize that Aurors get. Harry has a really bad case of it as do I thanks to the things we both went through. After talking about it, we think you might have it as well, since you have been acting a bit out of character now and again. It makes sense, given some of your actions of late.”

“What are you talking about? I’m fine,” protested Ron, looking confused.

“I am sure you feel that way Ron and Harry thought that way as well at the beginning before he got help but he was not. I know I’m not and it looked that way for me as well from the outside. I even pretended that I was okay for a bit before I just gave up and accepted that something was wrong and dealt with it. Can you at least go in and get checked. The worst it will be is a few hours of your time getting tested and answering some questions. Then if you are fine then you can say I told you so to both of us.” said Hermione, pleading her case. Harry and her both wanted this and she had to do her best to convince him.

“This is crazy.” protested Ron.

“Can you at least give it a try? For us?” asked Hermione. “It really isn’t going to be that bad.”

“Fine. I’ll do it. Who is this stupid Healer I am supposed to talk to?” grumbled Ron, giving in to her prodding.

Hermione felt a surge of hope. Maybe just maybe things might actually get better between all of them and they could get back to being the friends they had been before. It was eminently possible. “Thank you Ron. This really means a lot to me. You won’t regret it.”


	40. Chapter 40

Forty

“Hemyne! Hemyne! Wake up! Wake up!”

The bouncing on the bed and the high pitched, insistent voice of her sister drove all thoughts of extra sleep right out of Hermione’s head. She groaned in a mix of annoyance and disorientation, opening her eyes blearily to look up and there in front of her as well as on top of her, straddling her hips, was a very excited Amy in her nightgown still bouncing on her and clutching at her blankets, tugging them some. Hermione held onto them so they weren’t pulled down and off her, which was apparently the girl’s aim. “Hemyne!”

“Ugh… Amy, you need to slow down enough so you can say my name correctly. Please could you do that?? For me? And never ever let Ginny hear you say that,” grumbled Hermione. It was just too bloody early in the morning for this to be happening to her and on the other hand she also knew that she couldn’t disappoint her sister. That just couldn’t happen especially not on their first Christmas together. This was not a good place to be and she wished she had a better solution to this whole mess than waking up.

“Hermione… it’s Christmas morning,” whined Amy, upset at how long it was taking her sister to get up. She bounced a bit more, to emphasize her point. “You have to get up. We got presents!”

Closing her eyes again, Hermione worked an arm free of her blankets and rubbed them, pinching the bridge of her nose with one hand before she began to sit up. There was some problem with that as the weight at her hips was not moving in the slightest. It was impossible for her bend with her sitting there. “Amy, you are going to have to move if you want me to get up.”

“Oh…” Apparently it had never occurred to Amy that her weight might be a problem in the whole getting up process.

Once her new sister was off her, Hermione sat up, yawned and stood, stretching, feeling the shirt she was wearing ride up over her pajama pants. She quickly curled back when she felt a finger poke her in her belly button. She glared at her younger sister who was giggling. “None of that now or no presents for you.”

“Hemyne!” Amy gasped and looked utterly aghast at that notion.

“No whining. I’m up. I really am. Let’s go.” She physically turned her sister and pushed her out the door. When it was taking too long to move the girl out the door Hermione reached down and hefted the little girl, throwing her over her shoulder. It was a bit of an exertion but it sounded like the thing to do at that moment. With a yawn, Hermione walked out of her room, grinning a little, securing her load.

Amy squealed and wiggled on her shoulder as Hermione headed out to the living room. Once in the room, she dumped Amy on the couch and stretched her back out, as the weight of the six year old was more of an exertion than she was used to. Granted her bookbag may have gotten heavier at times then her sister was but that was different and far less wiggly. Realizing that there were things to do in order to really get the morning started, Hermione realized that she needed her wand. With a small gesture of her hand she said, “Accio Wand.”

The beech wand flew into the room and slapped into her palm solidly. Her sister sat there gaping at her, eyes wide in surprise. Turning to face her, Hermione noted the look and asked, “What?”

“That was so neat.” gushed Amy excitedly.

Blushing slightly under the praise, Hermione said, “Thanks. I just need to send a quick message to my friend Harry. He’s planning on coming over this morning to see us and I was going to let him know we were awake. That way he can get here sooner.”

“Why do you need your wand if you’re going to send a message by owl?” Amy looked a bit confused at that and Hermione could understand where she was coming from. She would have been right there with her if she had not learned this particular manner of message passing. The different means of communication in the wizarding world were very strange.

Shaking her head slightly at the question, with a slight chuckle Hermione said, “I’m not sending an owl as Perdita and Cuspid deserve the day off like everyone else. I’m going to send my Patronus with the message as it is much faster than an owl and will not make them have to fly.”

Focusing on the message she was going to send to Harry, Hermione thought about a happy memory, pausing to smile at the memory of her Ginny just cuddled together in her bed here at home then she cast the charm. Her otter burst forth to excited applause from Amy and then was sent off on its way. After another yawn Hermione glanced at a clock and rolled her eyes, it wasn’t too bad but still it was fairly early in the morning. What was it with kids her age and getting up this early on Christmas? Had she ever been this excited over it? It seemed hard to believe that she ever might be that way. “Come on Amy, let’s get some breakfast started so we can get to the presents. Then you can go wake everyone else up the same way you did me, bouncing and everything. My friends Harry and Luna should be arriving soon.”

Amy nodded and followed her into the kitchen. Hermione looked at everything and tried to think about what to cook. She was nowhere the cook that her mother or Harry was but she could make some basic foodstuffs that no one really complained about. Harry at least never objected when it had been her turn to cook when they had been in the tent, but that could have simply been Harry being nice rather than him acknowledging her cooking. After his childhood, he could probably eat anything. However, Christmas breakfast was supposed to be somewhat special and she acknowledged that was not really in her skill set. With a frown, she made a decision and said, “Amy, could you go wake Mum and Dad. I’ll get the tea started while you do.”

While her little sister scampered off to get other people up and moving Hermione put the kettle on, getting everything ready for morning tea. She was running the tea preferences of everyone through her head, with Amy being the only uncertain one in the mix but at six she might prefer juice to tea at this point. That was perfectly allowed at this point but Hermione was sure that it wouldn’t be long before she started drinking it like the rest of them. She got down two teapots and prepared them, getting out the specific teas that she knew were favored, seeing as there was a great deal of overlap, Lady Grey and Irish Breakfast. Her mother and Luna both liked the Lady Grey and the rest of them liked the extra caffeine kick that the Irish gave. She had to admit that a heavily steeped cup of Irish could be nice and bracing in the morning and there were a number of times where she had really needed that. As the water was starting to make the correct sounds, she also heard footsteps headed her way. Someone besides Amy was up and she wondered who it was. She filled the teapots and replaced the lids. It wouldn’t be but a moment before she discovered who it was as she could hear them getting closer. She took the pots out to the dining room table where she had already placed the cups and other things needed to prepare a perfect morning cuppa. “Morning Hermione.”

“Morning Dad.” She smiled at her father as he walked up.

“Thank you for getting the tea started. That will certainly help deal with the early morning. It’s has been a while since we’ve been forced to get up this early for Christmas.” He chuckled and shook his head, covering a yawn.

“At least she is cute,” observed Hermione. “You have to give her that.”

“That she is, though you usually let us sleep in just a little bit more when you were around her age. We were able to get to presents at a more reasonable hour thanks to that. I guess we should be prepared for a few more years of early Christmas mornings. When should your friends Harry and Luna be arriving?” asked her father curiously.

Hermione looked at a clock and thought about when she had sent out her patronus to let them know they were awake. It had been a while and if Harry and Luna had been awake they should almost ready to leave at this point. Harry was not a big dawdler, unlike Ron but she was not sure about Luna. Though she had to admit Luna was usually downstairs for breakfast rather early. “It should be soon. They probably had to go through a bit more effort than we did to get up and moving. Though once they leave the house their trip will be very quick.”

“That is a fair point. Your Mum is cooking, at least that was what she was telling me last night, so let me grab her a cuppa and head upstairs to see if Amy has bounced er awake yet.” said her father. “She will bless you for making plenty of her favorite tea you know.”

Hermione chuckled at her father as he poured and prepared two cups of tea and headed off back to their bedroom. After he had gone and she had prepared her on cup of tea, there was a knock at the back door where the portkey Perdita had delivered to them was set to drop them off. She walked back there and after a quick check to ensure that it was who it was supposed to be, answered it. Two voices called out happily as the door opened, “Happy Holidays Hermione!”

“Merry Christmas Harry, Luna. Come inside. It must be freezing outside.” She ushered them in and took their coats. “We have some tea on the table, help yourself. Luna the teapot with the thistle on top has Lady Grey.”

“Thank you Hermione. That is very considerate of you.” Luna smiled and went over to the table to prepare herself a cup.

Harry kicked off his shoes, to ensure that the bits of snow and mud stuck to his shoes did not get tracked into the house. He then hugged her and said, “It is so good to see you. So, right, where’s the kitchen?”

“Harry. What are you talking about? You don’t need to do this.” She he a rough idea what he intended to do based off that statement and wanted to make sure that he knew that it was not expected of him. She would never do that to him. Her plan had been for him to come over and relax with her family and enjoy Christmas with her, not work in her kitchen.

“You’re right, I don’t. Now hush, this is something I want to do. Now where is the kitchen? I have all the supplies back at Grimmauld to make breakfast and Kreacher will be bringing them over once I call for him so I wanted to get started.” Harry grinned like an excited little boy and it was very disarming. “I thought sharing time with you and your parents on Christmas would be lovely and as thanks I thought I would cook breakfast for everyone. Think of this as one of the presents if it helps you accept it.”

Luna reached out and touched her arm. The look on her face showed that she understood her consternation. “Don’t argue with him Hermione. You know there is no changing his mind when he gets like this.”

Shaking her head wryly at her best friend’s antics, she caved and said, “Fine, follow me.”

She led Harry to the kitchen, pointing out where everything was rather quickly. Once he had the basic layout down, he rolled up his sleeves and grinned happily at the far superior kitchen to Privet Drive, “Yes, this should work out just fine.”

“Just so you know there should be a total of seven for breakfast, counting you and Luna.” Hermione wanted to inform him early so he managed to cook enough for everyone to eat. He wasn’t Mrs. Weasley and likely to cook for an army even if only one or two people were there so it was important to inform him of these things before he started.

“Wait what? Seven? I thought it would only be five?” Harry turned and stared at her, his brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of what she had said with what he knew.

Hermione just grinned at him, turning to go. “Have fun cooking Harry!”

She could hear Harry starting to get to work, grumbling slightly as she walked out. This amused her and she had to chuckle. As she was topping off her tea, as it had gotten a touch cold while she had been busy, Simon came up and hugged Luna, “Merry Christmas Luna.”

“Merry Christmas yourself, Simon. I see you got one of your presents early.” said Luna happily.

Simon grinned and nodded, clearly excited by all of this. Hermione shook her head as she prepared her cup, adding a bit more honey to the mix, not even surprised. Luna was too perceptive for anyone’s good half the time. The other half she was possibly asleep or reading so it really shouldn’t count in this equation. Simon asked curiously, “If you’re here does that mean Harry’s here as well?”

Hermione and Luna both nodded, Luna giving him that soft, knowing smile of hers.

“Do you think it would be okay if I talked to him now?” He asked a bit hesitantly. “I know that it’s a weird time to talk about… you know, but he’s here and… well…”

“While he cooked?” asked Hermione a bit confused. Did Simon really want to do this now of all times?

“I can help,” offered Simon. “I wouldn’t be a bother. Honest.”

Luna smiled and nodded which had Simon looking pleased and heading into the kitchen at a quick scamper. Hermione looked over at the blond with some concern. “Do you really think Harry will be okay with that? Talking about his past while he is making breakfast?”

“I think them talking while Harry is cooking will probably be for the best. It will keep Harry distracted while he goes over things so he cannot focus on them too much and in helping Harry with the cooking, Simon will be distracted as well, lessening the pain they’ll both be feeling. That could only help the two of them in all of this. It might actually let them get more out as compared to otherwise.” She shrugged as if unsure. “That’s what I think anyway.”

Hermione looked thoughtful and turned her head towards the kitchen, running all of this through her thoughts. She knew that having Harry and Simon get together in order to talk about their pasts would be good, but over cooking breakfast? “I guess that makes sense. Besides, giving the two of them time to bond will be a good thing. There aren’t a lot of males that he can look up to in our circle of friends. Besides, Simon really seems to like Harry.”

Luna gave a knowing smile but said nothing, turning instead to pour and prepare her own tea.

Her mother came into the room being dragged by Amy. The little girl was walking backwards, pulling mightily and only getting a bit of movement at a time. All the while she was busy saying, “… cause you said we can’t open presents until we’ve had breakfast. I’m hungry!”

“Very well Amy.” Hermione could practically hear the eye roll. Once she had been shoved kitchen ward, Amy scampered off towards the living room. Her mother turned to face them, moving to refill her cup of tea and she asked, “Morning girls. What is that sound in the kitchen?”

“Oh that’s Harry. When he walked in he informed me that he wanted to cook breakfast as a gift to all of us. He even brought supplies and everything, so there is no cost to us at all,” answered Hermione.

“Does he need any help?” Her mother asked, again not making any move to hurry towards the kitchen to get involved with the cooking. Once she finished stirring in her sugar and lemon, tapping the spoon once on the edge of the cup, she took a sip of her tea, waiting for an answer.

“Simon’s in there, so he’s probably got the help he needs. Harry would call if he needed more help.” Hermione wanted to make sure that the two of them weren’t interrupted while they spoke. This was going to be a good thing for the two of them and letting them have this time was an important thing, so anything she could do to facilitate this was good.

“Okay, I guess there is just one more present for me then.” Mrs. Granger smiled over the rim of her teacup. “Merry Christmas Luna.”

“Merry Christmas Mrs. Granger. I notice that you seem to have had a couple of additions to your family recently.” Luna smiled happily, seemingly without a care in the world. “I take it congratulations are in order?”

“We have and they are. Amy is almost a little Hermione at times, which is adorable, and she has really done a lot to integrate herself into our lives. Simon seems like a wonderful young man and we are still trying to get to know him better. It makes sense now why Hermione kept dragging him around at her birthday and at the memorial ceremony so we could meet him.” Mrs. Granger stated.

“Yes, Simon is indeed wonderful.” Hermione noted something in Luna’s eyes but she couldn’t figure out what it was. She knew her; there was something the girl wasn’t saying but this was something that she couldn’t quite work out. Not that that was unusual, mind you, but perhaps she should grill Luna later for answers. “Can I meet Amy?”

“Sure. I think she’s out in the other room.” She and Luna walked into the living room and saw Amy staring longingly at the tree with all of its decorations and lights and all the presents there. It was clear that she desperately wanted to dive into the presents and find out what she had gotten and maybe even discover what everyone else had gotten as well. Hermione came up behind her and said, “Amy, this is my good friend Luna.”

Amy turned around and looked up at her. She appeared thoughtful before she smiled and asked, “Do you do magic as well?”

Luna laughed, delighted by the forthright question from the six year old. “No Wrackspurts on this one that’s for sure. Yes Amy, I do know magic as well. I go to school with Hermione and Simon though I’m in a different House.”

“Oooh… does that mean you can do the Patroro spell as well? Hermione’s is an otter and they’re the best animal ever. When I get older and learn the Patroro spell I want mine to be an otter like hers. That would be so neat.” Amy grinned up at her, bouncing a little.

“I do know that spell and it is very useful. Harry taught me. My Patronus is a rabbit and it’s very cute. I had hoped for a Crumple Horned Snorkack but according to Harry you can’t have a magical creature as a Patronus for some reason. His Patronus is a pretty huge stag that is very impressive. When he conjures it you have the White Hart for real.” Luna crouched down to be closer to eye level for Amy as she spoke, making it easier for the girl to hear her and understand. “Would you like to see mine?”

Wide eyed, Amy just nodded. Hermione was amused with just how much Amy was entranced by this one spell. Was it really that much cooler than so many others? Her creating an otter out of nothing had to have been impressive. She could think of a number of other spells that were possibly more impressive in some ways, but then again she wasn’t six and obsessed with otters. They certainly had a different set of criteria for what was important.

Casually, Luna cast her Patronus, had it hop around the room several times, as it was very quick and then had it come touch noses with Amy before vanishing in a swirl of silver. Amy giggled happily, clapping a bit. Luna said, “Why thank you Amy.”

Mrs. Granger said from behind them, “I never get tired of seeing that spell. I think of all the magic I’ve seen it may be my favorite. Hermione has shown us that spell a few times and each time… I just feel so good afterwards.”

“It is a wonderful spell and I am so happy that Harry was able to teach it to so many of us. He really is gifted at teaching Defense. Learning it as a fourth year was very impressive as a lot of wizards and witches never are able to learn it. Despite the ease with which Hermione and I cast it, most wizards simply can never master it. Harry was very good at drawing out the required emotion from people. The spell proved to be very useful in the final battle when the Dementors attacked, helping us drive them away,” commented Luna.

“I think it’s pretty,” stated Amy quite definitively, as if that would end the discussion right there.

“And right you are Amy. It is a very pretty spell, regardless of what animal is conjured. Come on, why don’t you help me put the presents I brought under the tree.” Luna reached out a hand and Amy led her the short distance over to the tree.

Hermione’s mother stood next to her daughter and said, “I like her.”

“Luna’s been a very good friend. She really helped me through my recovery after… well after Malfoy Manor. Without her and Fleur I don’t know what I would have done.” Hermione was quiet as she said that, thinking back over all she had been through with the blond, the Ministry, school, healing.

“Then I like her even more if she took care of my baby. I know I didn’t know who you were then but I am so glad that you had people there to take care of you.” Her mother hugged her and kissed the side of her head. “That you are here, safe and sound despite all of that insanity is the greatest gift I could ever have.”

While Hermione relaxed in her mother’s arms, Luna pulled out a moderate sized drawstring bag from her pocket and began withdrawing presents out of it, some larger than the bag itself. She handed them to Amy and directed where to put them to achieve the most harmonious balance of presents. Amy’s eyes got wide as she saw this and at one point she pulled the bag down to look into it. She looked up at Luna, brows crumpled in consternation as she stated accusingly, “I don’t see anything in there.”

Luna smiled, reached in, and pulled another present free, handing it to the girl to place with the others. Hermione just watched, amused as Amy was boggled over this, trying to make some sort of sense of the whole thing. Amy stared at the bag and finally exclaimed, “It’s like Mary Poppins!”

Luna looked unsure at the reference, obviously not following while Hermione just snickered. That actually made sense and fit everything that was being seen. It was good logic applied to magic. She came over to Amy and hugged her, so very proud of her sister, “Yes, the bag is very much like the one Mary Poppins has. I have a purse like that as well. They’re very handy because they can hold so much and don’t weigh much of anything.”

“Can… can I have a Poppins Purse?” Amy asked with wide eyes, turning from the bag to look at Hermione.

“When you’re older I will get you one. I’ll make sure of it,” said Hermione with a smile, hugging her sister. Those eyes… Amy was just so cute that it was difficult to deny her much of anything. This did worry her some as she was aware that Ginny did this to her as well. If she was like this with them, what was she going to be like with her kids? She was doomed.

There were only a few more gifts to lie out under the tree and then they all sat down to talk, waiting to hear that breakfast was ready. Amy was very fidgety as breakfast could clearly not come fast enough and squirmed as she was sitting cuddled up against her new mother. Hermione’s father came down, making sure that the cameras were ready and Hermione was surprised to see that he had both a muggle and wizarding camera. He beamed over at her as her noted her expression, “It’s their first Christmas with us and you’ll be graduating this summer and so it might be your last with us before you move out. Add to that it’s the first one after Australia and the War being over, so it has to be commemorated with as many pictures as possible. And I love the fact that I have the option between the two types of pictures.”

Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, amused by his enthusiasm over this, she went over and hugged her father, kissing him on the cheek. “Well, that makes sense. I love you Daddy.”

“I love you too Hermione. I always will. Now has Harry finished cooking or does someone need to go in there and chide him about how slow he’s going?” mock admonished her father with a bit of a scowl on his face but his eyes were sparkling merrily.

“Martin, Simon’s helping him so it will be ready when it’s ready. I have no idea what he’s even cooking, so it might be necessary for it to be taking this long. Have another cup of tea and relax. I think it’s very sweet of him to offer to cook and I have been enjoying the break,” said her mother in response.

“Fine, but I want my protest on the record so that if Amy here gets so hungry she eats us all it’s not my fault.” stated her father, with a roll of his eyes.

“Hey!” Amy look affronted by that, which on her was quite adorable. She charged her new father and she began trying to tickle him. He laughed and squirmed, starting to tickle her back, getting some squeals in response. Her mother took a picture of this with the wizarding camera, grinning the whole time. Hermione could not hide the smile that filled her face. This was all so wonderful and through sheer dumb luck she had caused it to come to pass. If she hadn’t taken that moment to talk to Simon, to hear him out and notice things none of this would be happening. She began to tear up a little when she realized how amazing her life was sometimes.

Her mother came up and hugged her from behind, “I know Hermione. Thank you for making this happen. This is one of the most incredible things that has happened to our family. I got the extra kids I wanted and even better I didn’t have to give birth to them.” She felt a kiss on the back of her head. “Thank you.”

“Breakfast is ready!” called out Harry, before Hermione was able to say anything to her mother.

Everyone turned and spotted Harry and Simon carrying out platters of food to the dining room table. She knew Harry could have used his wand to make that happen but this was more Harry’s way, doing things by hand to give it a more personal touch. There was a wide variety of things, with the primary food for the meal apparently being thick slices of French toast made out of actual baguette. There was some sort of berry jam available apparently as a toping as well as fresh whipped cream. There were sausages, tomatoes, fried potatoes, and mushrooms as well. There were even slices of fresh fruit: melons, oranges, and apples mixed into a fruit salad. Not a full English breakfast to be sure but enough pieces of it to be lovely. And the additions were perfect. She had to admit he had made the parts of it that she enjoyed more than others. Clearly he had paid attention to details. Her mother smiled happily when she saw everything and said, “This looks amazing Harry and much more elaborate than what I had planned.”

He blushed some at the praise and looked down, saying, “Thank you. This was nothing because I thought it would be a nice thank you for inviting Luna and I to join in on your holiday plans.”

Her father smiled and said, “Harry, from what she says, you were responsible for her making it back to us so you are more than welcome any time.”

This was enough to make Harry blush and look down at his plate. Luna rubbed his back until he regained his composure.

The food was as delicious as it looked and everyone ate their fill, with plenty of compliments to the chef and the assistant. The teapots had to be refilled before the meal was finished and soon enough, after they all lingered at the table for a little bit having friendly conversation, letting the food settle some, Hermione and Luna got up and cleared the table. Once done, they headed out to the living room where everyone else waited to go through presents. Hermione helped Amy pass them around so that in no time at all there were piles of gifts in front of each person. It was a pretty good haul for everyone all things considered and it looked like gifts from several other friends and family had gotten into the mix as well. Hermione knew she wouldn’t be complaining over this years haul. It looked to be the greatest number of gifts she had ever received at any one time and it was stunning. Simon seemed to be surprised that there was something in his pile from the Weasleys and not just Ginny. That made her smile, happy for him.

Amy, being the youngest, got to go first and had a wide mix of gifts, both muggle and magical. There had even been a gift from Headmistress McGonagall for her which was a surprise, as well as one from Madam Pomfrey. Apparently the whole process of discovery had affected them and they felt the need to give her something. It was a small something but it was interesting to say the least. Hermione hadn’t really known her at that point and had gone with something basic and safe, getting her a newer copy of Beedle the Bard to introduce her to some of the stories that wizarding kids took for granted, like Aesop fables for muggle kids. Harry had rolled his eyes and snorted when he saw that prompting Hermione to glare at him and stick her tongue out at him. That earned her a chortle. Amy had promptly extracted a promise from her to read her one of the stories later. She knew that The Wizard and the Hopping Pot would be a good story to start with as the moral of the story would be fun and not problematic as a few of them were. She had enjoyed that one when she had first read it.

Simon was very excited over his presents as well. He got some books of course. Hermione had gotten him a few that she had thought he might like, covering topics she knew he was interested from their dicussions and his mother had gotten him some fiction books as well. There was a Weasley sweater, which had to have been made at the prompting of Ginny. Like Amy there had been something for him from McGonagall and Pomfrey which made him smile, obviously pleased but somewhat unsure why they were there. That reminded Hermione that she might need to make sure that Simon knew the full and complete story about how this whole thing came to be so he would understand why they had gotten those presents. He was just amazed by how many gifts he had received and couldn’t stop grinning. When he opened Luna’s gift he immediately closed the box back up, blushing some, giving her this look that seemed half panic and half accusation. Hermione’s mother asked curiously, “Simon, what is it?”

Luna said in that spacy voice she occasionally used, which had once really annoyed her, “I picked up something special for Simon, something enjoyable I believe. I think it’s okay if Simon keeps it private as not all gifts are meant to be shared. So long as Simon’s happy with it, I’m happy.” She then gave him that soft all knowing smile of hers that could be very unnerving.

He smiled back at her, apparently bit unsure. This certainly perked Hermione’s interest as to what Simon’s present was exactly but she wasn’t going to pry. If either of them wanted to know what had been purchased she would be told, there was no doubt about that. That took the turn of opening presents to Luna who unwrapped each one calmly, carefully, folding the paper up after each gift so she could save it to reuse later. She really liked the book Hermione had bought for her on unusual animals of the muggle world, flipping through it excitedly. Hermione had remembered seeing something like that when she was younger and had asked her mother to look for it in a letter. Luna and a platypus. That image had been enough to sell her on the idea right there. Harry gave her a beautiful necklace that also had some protective properties to it which was such a Harry gift that she had to tease him a little.

Harry was also pleased with his gifts which made her feel good. She gave him one of the modified Wizarding Wireless music players that she had made for Ginny, knowing that Grimmauld Place might have some problems with regular CD players given the amount of magic there. She was planning on showing him the charm that would allow him to record music onto the crystals so he would have the ability to expand his own music collection. The crystals she had given him were mostly things she liked but it was a start. The Weasleys had gotten him quite a lot, as it seemed as if every member of the family had sent him a gift, not to mention there was the standard Weasley sweater. Her parents gave him several things as well and not just chocolate, as they had actually spent time with him and gotten to know him since the summer. He was clearly quite content with everything and that made her happy. Harry needed more happiness in his life.

Going through her presents, Hermione set Ginny’s off to the side in order to open that one last. She was excited to see a present from Ron among her things and that made her feel a lot better about how their relationship was going. Sure it had been shaken, pretty badly even, but the sight of the present let her know that things were getting better. Her parents had gotten her some books on history, biology, physics, and even a few on some interesting magical topics from sections of Florish and Blots she had only skimmed. Apparently her mother had recalled titles that she had looked at but hadn’t bought during some of their trips to the store together. Hermione recalled not picking them up as she had been trying to be much more pragmatic about her buying at that point. Her other gifts were wonderful, making her smile and hug those who were there. Then she opened her gift from Ginny. She unwrapped the box, saw what was inside, blushed a bright red and slammed it shut far harder than Simon had with his box. She continued to hold it closed as if Harry or someone might just try to open the box up anyway. Clearly her time with the Weasleys had affected her. Luna started laughing hysterically when she did that, with Harry joining in. Simon snickered as well.

“Don’t you want to share what Ginny bought you, Hermione?” asked her mother teasingly.

Hermione’s blush deepened, her face burning from the amount of blood that had to be pooled there. She desperately wanted to crawl into a hole and hide from the embarrassment. She would actually be doing that at this very moment if anyone had actually seen what was in there. How could Ginny have bought her that sort of thing and for Christmas? She was going to die of mortification all thanks to her girlfriend sending her this… this…. Vixen was purely evil! How was this fair? She hadn’t gotten her anything this problematic to open around family. She had actually been nice. “No thank you.”

She and Simon shared a look of empathy and relief as no one pressed her further for a peek. She only hoped that whatever Luna had gotten Simon it wasn’t nearly as embarrassing as what Ginny had gotten her. Well, more embarrassing in terms of sharing it with others than anything else, because in all honesty, the item itself wasn’t that bad and she would probably like it. She knew she probably wouldn’t be embarrassed to share it with Ginny as there was certainly a reason that the redhead bought her something that silky and potentially slinky. Hermione had to admit that she was interested in taking that upstairs and checking it out, seeing what exactly it actually looked like. Perhaps it was some of the lingerie that disappeared with a word like that set Ginny owned that Luna had bought her. Hermione had to admit loving those or perhaps it was a nightgown of the stuff. She had barely believed it when Gin had worn her set to History of Magic class that one time and vanished them right after letting Hermione know she was wearing them. It had never been more difficult to focus in class than that day. Just the thought of Ginny sitting next to her, whispering naughty things, her naked arse on the bench, fanny uncovered for all the class to see made her get all tingly, and she could begin to feel some wetness building. Hermione refocused on the here and now as it was not going to be helpful to be that distracted and horny when surrounded by family. She checked casually to see if she had drooled any.

Once her parents had gone through their presents, Simon and Amy raced upstairs with their gifts piled up in their arms to play or what not. Hermione guessed that Simon was hiding Luna’s gift in addition to actually looking at it. Harry sidled alongside, grinned at her and gave her a rather knowing look. “So Ginny got you something naughty then?”

“Harry!”

“What? It’s not like the lot of us didn’t know that it was something of that nature when you closed the box back up that fast. It was obvious, especially with how brightly you colored. No, the only real question in my mind is what Luna here got Simon that made him close his box so quickly as I know she didn’t buy him anything naughty.” said Harry, smirking happily at his girlfriend.

“I shan’t tell. It was a gift for Simon and as such the contents of it are privy only between the two of us. No one else needs to know.” Her smile was blissful and Hermione felt like Luna was taunting them a little.

“Really now?” said Harry. Clearly he was viewing this as a bit of a challenge and she could almost hear his mind running through different ways to elicit the information from her.

The look that Luna fixed him with had him raise his hands in surrender in short order. Hermione was certainly impressed and wanted to learn that one as she was sure that it would be useful later on in dealing with a recalcitrant Ginny. Harry pouted a little, which was quite endearing, and grumbled out, “Okay, okay… Luna, I surrender. I know when I’m beat. Why oh why did I ever make friends with girls that are smarter than me?”

Hermione’s father shrugged and jumped into the conversation, saying, “Well, my guess is that you thought they were cute and would surely help you succeed in life? That’s why I did it.”

 The young adults chuckled as Mrs. Granger looked lovingly over at her husband and said, “Well played dear.” She then kissed him as a reward.

Harry looked thoughtful at that, clearly not disregarding the stateement as a joke. After a few moments he said, “You know, I think you’re right Mr. Granger. Sad but true fact, these two brilliant women here have always been there to support me and have never let me down. Without these two I know I wouldn’t be here today so I owe them both so much. Ginny unfortunately doesn’t get lumped in there due to a technicality.”

Affronted over the slight to her girlfriend, Hermione glared at him and snapped out, “Harry James Potter, it was not her fault that Voldemort possessed her!”

Harry stared at her, astonished by what she had said and then started laughing. When he stopped his heavy guffaws half minute later, wiping the tears from his eyes, he got up and moved over to the couch where he hugged Hermione tightly. “Hermione I love you so much but when you are wrong you really do it spectacularly. What I meant by that is that while you and Luna here got better OWLs than me, better OWLs than most anyone else at Hogwarts actually, Ginny did not. The technicality is simply that I scored higher than her. Do you really think I would hold that nonsense from our second year against her?”

Hermione was once again a bright red, looking down at her hands as she apologized, aghast that she had done that. “Sorry for jumping to conclusions Harry.”

“That’s okay Hermione. You’re my sister you know, and so you get a lot of slack.” He winked at her.

She stuck her tongue out at him in response and they grinned at each other.

Hermione’s father looked at her mother, confusion written across his face and asked worriedly, “Wait… when did we get four kids?”


	41. Chapter 41

Forty-one

Hermione was the last one out of the Floo, having made sure everyone else made it through alright. Her mother, who was just before her, had held Amy’s hand as they had gone through from the Leaky Cauldron. The girl had been a bit freaked out about walking into the fire and disappearing but since everyone else was doing it and Hermione told her it was okay she begrudgingly agreed. This was after telling Hermione how mad she would be if she got burned. But they were all there now and all was well no burns or anything, just a little soot. Her whole family was at the Burrow and ready for the Christmas party, the first taste of a wizarding holiday for most of them.

Arms wrapped around her from behind once she finished cleaning the soot from herself and a familiar voice almost purred in her ear, “I’m glad you’re finally here ‘mione. I missed you.”

“Same here Gin.” Her girlfriend moved and kissed Hermione on the cheek. Hermione just locked eyes with Ginny and smiled slightly, but it was a gesture full of the love she felt.

Mrs. Weasley looked a touch uncomfortable at these displays of affection but not as bad as Hermione had feared the older woman would be after hearing Ginny’s story. Even with what Mr. Weasley had said there was only so far a person could go in a few days, in terms of changing their behavior and she felt she had good cause to be a touch nervous. Mrs. Weasley came up to her and hugged Hermione in her usual fashion, saying warmly, “Glad to see you Hermione dear.”

“Merry Christmas, Mrs. Weasley.” said Hermione, doing her best to not hold anything against her for the whole blow up at the beginning of the holiday. She had understood the whys of it as Mr. Weasley had explained them and from what it seemed at the moment, from how Ginny was interacting with her mother, she was not holding anything against her. If her girlfriend was not upset over this then why should she be grumpy?

As she walked into the living room to say hello to the other members of the Weasley family, she could hear her parents introducing Amy and Simon to Mrs. Weasley and that was a good thing. She had to wonder if Amy was going to be shy at first or charge ahead like she was wont to do. Given that trait which showed up a lot more often than not, there was no doubt in her mind which House Amy would be in once she got to Hogwarts. She was about as obnoxiously Gryffindor as Harry was; perhaps even more so but only time would tell. Since Ginny was here and Amy knew Ginny, there really was no way to predict how she was going to deal with this situation and all these new people. Amy was kind of funny that way. It was one of the reasons that Hermione loved the girl.

Bill hugged her tightly and Fleur kissed her on both cheeks when she walked up to them. They spoke briefly, more an exchange of greetings than anything else before she went over to greet Charlie. Once she had talked to him about his work a little, as he was the Weasley she knew least about, she briefly talked to Percy. He did seem a good bit less prat-ish than before however it was clearly a work in progress and there was still some of that kiss up to power there. Part of her even wondered if he was trying to get in good with her since she was a hero of the War. George hugged her tightly as did Angelina, happy to see her again. Angelina thanked her for kicking George in the behind, helping them get together again. Hermione had to say that she was happy for that as she had always thought the two of them had made a good couple. Mr. Weasley came over, hugged her and welcomed her rather exuberantly. That made her very happy, knowing that the majority of the family was okay with her, her presence and her relationship with Ginny. He told her that Molly was getting better with things and not to hide their relationship at all, as that was the only way his wife would be able to get past things. He grinned, hugged her again and said, “Besides, I must admit, I have never seen Ginny smile as much as she has with you.”

As she was walking away, looking to see where Ginny or her parents had gotten to, Ron came up from behind and touched her elbow lightly. He sounded a bit nervous as he asked, “Hermione, can we talk?”

“Sure Ron.” They were both quiet as she followed him upstairs to his room. Once there she took a seat and waited to hear what he had to say.

He turned to face her and she could tell that he seemed a bit uneasy about this whole thing. She smiled at him, trying to encourage him to talk. Regardless of how things had played out between them she was still his friend and still wanted him to be happy. With a small smile of thanks he looked down at his hands as he spoke, “I… I went to see that Healer you and Harry were talking about.”

“Senior Healer Bainsley?” That statement surprised Hermione, as it was not what she had been expecting him to say. In all honesty she wasn’t sure what he was planning to say but she had more expected it to be about her and Ginny then about this.

“Yeah, him. Since I had the time off, you know, for the holidays I went to St. Mungo’s to see him. We talked and… well…” He said something else but it was too quiet for her to clearly hear what he said.

“What was that Ron?” Hermione was actually curious about what words he had swallowed. She really wanted to know he that had gone.

“I said you were right, as usual.” Ron blushed and looked away, not willing to meet her eyes, a light redness touching his cheeks. She didn’t know if it was from embarrassment or a bit of anger and that didn’t matter anyway.

She paused for a moment, trying to put this whole thing together in her mind. Not the her being right thing, but the fact that Ron had actually gone and done this. This was a huge thing and it could really help. “Does he have you on any potions?”

“Yeah, a few. Probably the same ones you and Harry are on, since he said it was the standard treatment. I’m supposed to come back and see him before training starts up, so we can see how the potions are doing. If they aren’t really working all that well he might recommend me leaving the Auror corp. Look Hermione, I’m really sorry about things,” apologized Ron.

Hermione could tell how down this whole thing was making him, and she could understand why. It was not an easy thing to deal with. She reached out and pet his knee comfortingly. “It’s okay Ron. Things happen and that whole situation was rough for all of us. It’s not a surprise that we all got a little screwed up over it. I mean honestly, who wouldn’t get screwed up after all we’ve been through? We made it through something horrific and we survived somehow and are still friends. That’s what matters. That’s all that matters.”

Ron stood and walked over to her, holding his hands out. Hermione could see that his eyes were glistening a bit with building tears, which was a rare thing. This was clearly an emotional topic for him. She took his hands and allowed him to pull her to her feet. Ron wrapped his arms about her, hugging her tightly, his breath a bit ragged as he said, “I love you Hermione. You are a great friend. A better friend than I probably deserve. Please take care of my sister, okay?”

Hermione leaned back a bit and her brown eyes met his blue. She could see the truth in what he said and he was struggling a little to smile, undoubtedly having some sort of internal emotional battle. She knew she would have in his place. “I love you too Ron. You are one of my best friends and that’s important to me. And I will take great care of your sister. I love her with all my heart.”

He tightened his hug again and then let her go. His voice was tight with emotion as he said, “Thank you for everything Hermione. I know for a fact that Harry and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. You saved us so many times I’ve lost count.”

Hermione chuckled a bit at that admission and shook her head. “Do you think I could just abandon you two?”

Ron chuckled lightly, “I guess not. I’ll see you downstairs. I need a few minutes on my own. Thanks for talking to me.”

Hermione stopped at the doorway with her hand on the sill. “No problem Ron. What are friends for?”

She walked downstairs in a bit of a daze. Had that really happened? Had Ron actually said all that? Sure it had been a few days since she had seen him at Diagon Alley, but this, this was unexpected. He had actually listened to Harry and her? He had actually done what they had both asked and seen the Healer? Ron had to have already been considering it when he asked her about it the other day or that never would have happened. She knew him and how he thought. And that bit about Ginny? This was difficult to reconcile with the Ron from that meeting at the Celebration, when they had told him about their relationship, which had been so hurt and irritated and had lashed out at them. At least this whole thing was better than him being angry, like he had been at the start. An angry Ron was never a pretty sight.

Ginny came up to her after she made it back downstairs and touched her arm. She started a little, making Ginny frown and prompting her to ask, “Are you okay Kitten?”

“Maybe. I’m not sure. Let me get back to you on that one.” Hermione shrugged, still trying to process everything she had heard. For such a short conversation there had been a lot to it.

“Okay then, you want to go for a short walk? Take your mind off whatever is troubling you?” Ginny asked, trying to offer something.

Realizing that this sounded like an excellent plan, Hermione nodded her head, saying in reply, “Sure. Lead the way.”

Once they had retrieved their coats, were outside and had walked a little way from the house, Ginny pounced on her, kissing her passionately. This went on for a bit, as the two girls clearly needed this, this moment of reconnecting and reaffirmation of their love. When they broke apart, Ginny sighed in contentment, “Merlin, I needed that. You have no idea how much I’ve missed you. It has been tense in the house since I came back. Mum has been trying to make things right between us and that’s not really working out so well because her trying as hard as she is keeps making things awkward. I just wish she would relax a bit more about everything and stop trying to be all super accepting. Do you know we have talked about you and I and my interest in girls every day since I have come home? Seriously, even I can get tired of non-stop lesbian chatter and while you may be one of my favorite topics in the world just how much can I tell my Mum about what you and I have done?”

Hermione snickered a little at this rant. She had really missed Ginny these last few days and was so glad to see her. She really had also needed the kissing and this being alone together. One of the things that had made the whole thing worse was just how lonely her bed had been without her redhead in it to help keep her warm and comfortable. While she hadn’t had any nightmares she also hadn’t slept all that well. That reminded her. With a thwack, she swatted Ginny on the arm fairly hard, growling a little as she said, “I’m sorry your mum has been making you crazy Gin. I really am. But honestly, Ginevra? Honestly? Sending me sexy lingerie for Christmas? I almost opened the box completely in front on my parents.”

“Oh come on Kitten. I knew you would like those. Besides, the worst that would happen is that they would tease you about my buying you that. You know it wouldn’t be all that bad in the long run. They love you and they seem to like me so you know it would be okay.” Ginny rolled her eyes at what she clearly thought was melodrama.

Narrowing her eyes, Hermione added a little more detail that might help clarify the problem and her irritation. “Harry and Luna were there as well Ginny. Plus my new siblings. Did you forget about them?”

“Oh.” Ginny’s eyes widened in realization and everything fell into place.

Hermione glowered at her, for that less than helpful response, “Oh indeed. You know I am never going to hear the end of this right? Harry is going to tease me about this for a long time.”

“Sorry Love. I don’t remember you saying anything about him coming over and didn’t think he was going to be there. I simply hoped you were going to like it. I got your set from the same place Luna got my set so it has the same qualities. When I saw it I thought of you and knew I had to get it.” Ginny seemed a bit abashed to hear that. “You know I had no intention to embarrass you. Right?”

“I know Vixy.” Hermione sighed. She knew that there had been no harm meant by the gift. That didn’t make it any less embarrassing at the moment however. “Thankfully no one saw anything before I closed the box. If they had I know things would be worse. I have to admit though, that it is a rather sexy negligée. Nice choice.”

“Thank you. I saw it and I realized that I really wanted to see you in it, even if only briefly. That decided me right then and there. I mean, I know you like the bra and knickers set I have and everything but I’m sure that I am going to enjoy this a bit more personally. I really am looking forward to seeing you in it. I think you’ll look beautiful.” Ginny grinned and winked at her.

Hermione pulled her in close and kissed her, a kiss filled with the promise of so much more. “If only you were staying over, then I could show you how it looks tonight.”

“Sorry love. I wish we could do that but you know that’s not to be.” Ginny looked back at the house and frowned a little in thought. “Come on. I know Ron said you guys talked and all but he and I still aren’t doing so well and I want to talk some more. If we’re right out here he’s likely to come out and bother us. I seriously don’t want to put up with that right now because this is our time.”

Hermione nodded, understanding the position that Ginny was in. Because of the fact that the two siblings had such a turbulent relationship anyway, fighting a lot more than naught, and Ron usually being a bit more overprotective than necessary making for some interesting arguments at the school, this whole situation, with her and Ginny, had to stick in Ron’s craw. She had thought about this and while she gathered that he could get over his mad at her without too much trouble thanks to their history together and their not being related, perhaps it would be more difficult for him to get past his issues with Ginny. Sibling dynamics were not something she was overly familiar with and Ginny and Ron seemed to have a complex balance that had been upset greatly by her falling in love with Ginny. Her redhead took her by the hand and the two of them headed out on the trail through the orchard towards the pond, Ginny eager to avoid further conflict with her brother. Hermione nervously broached the subject, “Are things getting any better between the two of you?”

Ginny shrugged, still walking forwards, her eyes on the dead grass and bare trees. “Some. He doesn’t growl at me anymore like he did when I first got here and actually acknowledges my presence when we see each other. I have to admit that’s progress. I just wish there was more. Honestly, between Ron and my mother I think I would rather be staying with you right now. It would certainly be less trying emotionally.”

“I’m sorry Vixy. I wish this whole mess wasn’t so hard for you.” She stopped walking and pulled the slightly shorter girl into another hug. She was sure that the girl needed one at this point, what with all the emotional insanity she was dealing with at the moment. Besides, like she would ever get enough of these for the rest of her life to really satisfy her.

“Thanks love.” Ginny looked back towards the Burrow and they could see the top floors of the crooked house over the tops of the barren trees. Two streams of smoke rose, joined, and then diffused as they traveled higher above the house. It was easy to make the building out and some of the details even in the fading daylight.

“No problem Gin, you know I’m always here for you.” Hermione kissed her softly on the lips, hoping that her girlfriend would feel reassured by that. She never wanted her girlfriend to feel alone or without support. That just wouldn’t do.

Ginny closed her eyes and leaned forward, resting against Hermione comfortably. They just fit together comfortably at this point, each knowing how to exactly position themselves to find their greatest comfort and connection. It was something only time together could bring and Hermione did like the fact that their hugs and love making had gotten better and better. It was one of the best things she had found about being with her. With a relaxed sigh, Ginny said, “I know.”

After a few minutes of silence, the two of them just stood there holding each other watching the smoke rise from the Burrow, the sun slowly sinking in the distance with the light diffusing and beginning to wash everything out in the growing shadow. Ginny finally stood upright and smiled at her. She seemed a good bit happier as she spoke, “You know I love you, right?”

Hermione chuckled a little. This seemed a bit of a topic change and overly obvious. “What’s this then? Of course I do, just as I love you.”

“It’s just, you know, for so long I thought that Harry was the only one for me, the one I was destined to fall in love with. He was my knight in shining armor and came to my rescue when I was in the greatest danger of my life, risking his own life for me in the process. It was so romantic, especially to an eleven year old. But as I got older and I dated other people, I saw that those dreams I had were not quite what I thought they were. Tom… Tom had really hurt me inside and I hadn’t really known it. It took me a long time to realize what he had done.” Ginny held one of Hermione’s hands and was rubbing the back of it gently, almost talking to herself, looking down at the hand she was holding.

Hermione let her talk. Ginny didn’t open up like this all that often, preferring to hold on to her emotions more than was good for her, especially the pains of the past, for the most part and while it worried her, moments like this, when the gates holding her emotions back were flung open, she did nothing to stop anything. These were the moments when she truly learned the most about the woman she loved and they were to be cherished.

“After everything Tom had done to me, all the lies he had said, after a year of him having free reign in my head, it felt pretty much as if he had scooped out parts of me and I had no idea who I was anymore. I was lost. Because of this I searched for meaning, for a sense of… self in other people because at the core I felt so hollow. While all those guys I kissed and made out with, all those guys who professed their love to me could never help me find anything inside. Even things with Harry, for all I loved him, or so I thought I did, and all he apparently loved me, things just never really fell into place, never really came to pass. We never really connected. It was never the time and something was always in the way. I realized this summer that someone actually had connected with me and I to them, had helped me find something inside, had helped me find a sense of self, you.”

Hermione’s breath caught as she heard that. Was that really what had happened with Ginny? She had never really gone into any detail about what she had gone through both during and after that year, what she had been feeling and now this? It was so much, so intense that it froze her into immobility and silence, widening eyes her only response.

“You spending time with me from the Quidditch World Cup on is what seemed to do it, the more you did, the more it gave me something to hang onto. I realized that it gave me a connection to something outside myself, something I was missing, something that helped me fill in what had been missing inside the whole time. All the while I had been trying desperately to find myself through people like Dean or Michael or even Harry when all it took in the end was you.” Ginny looked up, staring into Hermione’s eyes, love filling every bit of her gaze.

Hermione colored some, finding it difficult to deal with the intensity of the emotions in Ginny’s eyes. If this was the truth, what Ginny honestly felt, it was no wonder they had gotten together. It seemed that while she had been spending the spring and summer discovering things about herself, Ginny had apparently been doing the same thing. What a crazy year.

“And you know, the wonder of it all, you weren’t trying to make me anyone but myself. All those boys I dated, even Harry to a degree, wanted the perfect girlfriend, however it was they viewed that. Mum wanted something from me as well, all these people seemed to be trying to get me to be something for them and the whole time I had no idea who I was. So how would I know who to be? But you… you just wanted me to be me. You just wanted me to be happy. Harry was almost there but even he had some sort of idea of who I was supposed to be, who he wanted me to be. You just let me heal without putting any pressure on me.”

Gripping her hand tightly to comfort Ginny, Hermione smiled encouragingly at Gin, seeing where this was going. Letting this whole thing roll on would be good for her girlfriend, she was sure of it. Letting all of this out could only serve to make her feel lighter in the end. She was fighting back tears, as it really was a lot to deal with emotionally nevertheless she was sure she could handle this, to be here for Ginny while she bared her soul.

“And then this last year happened. Without you and all you had done for me beforehand, I’m not sure I would have made it. Really. You had helped me find enough of who I was so I could stand on my feet against the Carrows and Snape when I had to and keep going. All the while, while fighting the good fight at Hogwarts I was thinking, what would Hermione do? What would Harry do? Well, mostly you, because we needed to be sneaky to survive and honestly Harry would have just charged in like he usually does. But then when Fred died, you were there for me again, like you’ve always been. Time and again you’ve been there for me, helping me past all my hurts when I’ve needed someone. And then to my surprise I fell in love with you.”

Hermione was stunned by the sense of wonder that filled Ginny’s voice right then. There was no way to predict that she would ever hear anything like that from her girlfriend. This was a lot more than she had ever expected to hear from Ginny and she felt a bit choked up. Had she really had that much of an impact on her? Had she really helped Ginny that much through the years? There was no way to know and if Ginny said it then she had to believe it.

“It was not something I had ever expected. Sure looking back at it from here, it’s perfectly clear that it couldn’t be any other way, but then? Not a clue. No clue that I had even been interested in girls before that, well except for that one kiss with Luna but we were kids and it was nothing. And since then you have made me the happiest woman alive. I have never been so happy. Never. The time together with you has been magical, miraculous. You have treated me better than anyone I have ever dated and there is no doubt of that. When I am with you I feel cherished, beloved, desired like never before. There is more love, more passion in once glance from you than I’ve seen in all the other relationships I have been in, including with Harry.” Ginny smiled, chuckling slightly at that, amused by something she was thinking about. She caught Hermione’s eyes and said cheekily, “And he really did have a passionate glance.”

That made Hermione blush, wondering where Ginny was going with this. And did she really need to know that Harry had a ‘passionate glance’? What the hell did that even mean anyway? That just led her brain down trails that she seriously did not want to go down when it involved Harry. She knew they had snogged but had they? Oh Merlin! The tent had been small enough that, well… the two of them had no more secrets effectively but the last thing she really needed at this moment was to picture Harry and Ginny and… guh! Did Ginny seriously hate her or something, to put an image like that in her brain? There was no help for it; she would have to oblivate herself to get rid of the visuals now. Her brain had too much information about the two of them and was quite happy to fill in the requisite details. She slammed the door in her mind tight and focused on what Ginny was saying, hoping for a respite from that… that… ugh.

“After getting hurt back in November, I knew that you were too important to me to ever let you slip away. The fact that I let us fight over that whole situation and my inability to just shut up and heal still embarrasses me but it only drove this point home more effectively than anything else I can imagine. It made it clear what was important in my life and what wasn’t.” Ginny dropped down onto one knee and held out a beautiful diamond ring with both hands. Her brown eyes were filled with love and hope as she said, “I cannot live without you Kitten, not for a day, not for an hour, not for another minute. There is nothing in my life more important than you. Hermione Jean Granger, you are the absolute love of my life, and I want to spend the rest of mine making you happy. Will you marry me?”

Hermione stood there, stunned almost insensible, staring at the ring, and blinking numbly as tears quickly filled her eyes. Her heart was pounding, roaring in her ears and she was all choked up, her chest tight and fluttery overwhelmed by this moment. As her eyes finally spilled over, tears trickling down her face Hermione looked down at Ginny, at the ring held in that box, and smiled beatifically, answering loudly, “Yes, of course. Yes!”

Ginny carefully slid the ring onto Hermione’s finger and it was all she could do to stand there and stare at it like a fool for a moment before she registered that Ginny was back on her feet. She looked up at a very smug looking redhead, clearly proud of her achievement and right then she pounced, tackling her new fiancée to the ground and began snogging her senseless, putting her whole heart into it. They lay there on the cold ground for a few minutes lost in each other before finally coming up for air. Hermione gazed into Ginny’s eyes, panting slightly, her heart bursting through her smile and she said softly, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Ginny smiled at her adoringly, her eyes never moving from her own. Hermione then began to snicker, closing her eyes and rolling off to the side, lying on her back. Ginny looked quite confused at that, blurting out, “What?”

“This. I can’t believe this. I mean seriously. I cannot believe this.” Hermione chortled again, shaking her head while she looked up at the sky, a few of the brighter stars beginning to peak through. Her smile simply wouldn’t fade and it lit up her face.

“Why?” Ginny sounded a bit worried by this but she was obviously more confused than anything else.

Turning onto her side so she could rest a hand on Ginny’s cheek, Hermione looked into her favorite pair of brown eyes and said quite succinctly, “Because I was going to ask you to marry me at the New Year.”

“Really?” Ginny’s eyes went wide at that.

“Well yeah, of course. I mean, I have the ring and everything. I had a whole night planned out already, just the two of us. After dinner and dancing I was going to take you somewhere nice and romantic in London and propose. It was going to be fabulous or at least that was my plan. Ginny you mean everything to me and when you got hurt during that game a part of me almost died. I knew, just knew right then, that I had to make you mine forever because I know that I can’t get you to stop being reckless and crazy any more than I would be able to get Harry to that, but what I can do is have you forever in my heart and be allowed to always be there when and if you need me. To be your wife would help with all of that because no one could stop me from being there by your side the next time you got hurt and I’ve met you, so I know there will be a next time.” Hermione sighed and kissed Ginny, to reassure her that all was well. By the slightly dazed look of her fiancée’s face she had to have succeeded. That made her feel better.

“But that’s not all. Ginny, you are the girl of my dreams, literally. I know I’ve told you that I was dreaming about you for years before I realized that I was a lesbian, before I realized it was you. Those dreams were some of my most cherished memories back then and a few of them even helped fuel a Patronus or two because they gave me something to strive for, a love that I knew was out there, waiting for me. Sure I mistakenly thought it was Ron for a while, but I got over that and when it all became clear, well… it was so difficult not to simply rush right over to you, pull you into my arms, and tell you everything all at once. I had loved the redhead in my dreams for so long and the realization that it was you was shocking and yet not that it shook me. Learning that one detail, that it was you, made everything else finally make so much sense.” Hermione looked at her fiancée with so many emotions dancing around inside that she had no idea what Ginny could see reflected on her face.

“I really did try to be your friend, to not push you into anything but in doing so I guess I treated you how I felt you always deserved to be treated. I’d apologize for that but it would be really stupid right now because doing so got me the greatest Christmas gift I’ve ever gotten, you. Merlin Ginny, you are the best thing to have ever happened to me. I mean that. Even better than Harry, which is saying a lot since he saved my life as one of the first things he ever did for me. You are my best friend and the absolute love of my life. I am so happy that we are going to spend the rest of our lives together. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I couldn’t have wished for anything better.” Hermione hugged Ginny to her and began crying from happiness, her heart pounding and aching from the joy she felt. Her skin felt too small from how much love she had going through her, like she was going to burst from how much she was overflowing. She pulled back and kissed Gin, trying to push all the love she felt for Ginny through her lips.

When she pulled back, Hermione could tell that Ginny also had tears in her eyes, a few tears had already cut their salty trails down the side of her face. “I love you Kitten.”

“I love you Vixen.”

After they kissed again, this time with less passion, Hermione asked, “Do you want me to head to my house and get your ring? At this point I would say you have earned it.”

Ginny snickered, amused by the statement. “That would be lovely. Hurry back. I’ll miss you.”

Hermione disapparated to her house, appearing in the backyard, and headed up to her room at a near run. Once she was in there and safe from prying eyes, she paused to have a rare moment of absolute girlish glee, squeeing and dancing around, letting her excitement out physically. This was something she almost never did, reserved for really special things and only when no one could see her do it. Once she had regained her composure, she opened her trunk, pulled out the ring box, took a really good look at her own ring in the better light, and headed back, not wanting to be apart from Ginny for long.

As soon as she returned to the orchard, she pulled the ring free of the box and slid it onto Ginny’s waiting hand. “Ginevra Molly Weasley, you have no idea how long I have wanted to do this. I am so glad that we are going to marry and have a life together. Thank you for loving me.” They kissed again and held each other, comfortable despite the cold, warmed by their happiness.

Ginny asked softly, “So, do you want to head back in and share the good news with everyone or do you want to stay out here a little longer?”

“What about things with you and Ron?” asked Hermione worriedly. She really didn’t want to be a source of strife between the siblings, even though it had been inevitable. If things between them were as rough as indicated then the rings just might push it to a whole new level. Why hadn’t she thought of that?

“Nothing to worry about. He talked to me about this whole situation before he talked to you the other day. We cleared the air and worked everything out. It was tense there for a bit but it is all okay. Honest. I just told you all that as an excuse to get you out here and away from the others. I didn’t want to do this with everyone in there hovering and possibly lurking. I wanted this to just be us.” explained Ginny.

With a roll of her eyes, somewhat frustrated at how crazy her fiancée was, Hermione took Ginny’s hand, squeezed it, and the two of them headed back towards the house. Neither of them could stop smiling and even though her face was hurting a little from how much of it she was doing, she was just so unbelievably happy that she couldn’t stop. She honestly didn’t want to stop. This day was incredible. They walked into the Burrow hand in hand, grinning like a couple of loons, wondering who in there would be the first to catch on, noticing the two new rings.

Luna was naturally the first to notice, given how much more observant she was as opposed to everyone else. When she spotted their hands there was squealing and clapping, followed by her rushing over to hug them both at the same time. This got everyone else’s attention and once Luna began staring at the rings, holding both hands at once so she could compare rings, people began to figure out what had just happened. Congratulations came from all around as everybody was excited for them. Simon hugged them both and Harry hugged them and kissed the both of them on the forehead, saying, “I am so happy for you two.”

Fleur managed to get Hermione away from Ginny at some point a little while later, steering her off to the side so they could talk by themselves. She was grinning at the curly haired witch like the proverbial cat who ate the canary. Hermione groaned in disgust, shaking her head in partial annoance, and said, “Shut up.”

“But I ‘ave not said anything ‘ermione.” Fleur could not hold back the self-satisfied smirk. There was no doubt that she found this whole situation entertaining.

Hermione growled at her softly which got the part-Veela laughing blithely. The light in her eyes danced as she said, “Oh ‘ermione, I am so ‘appy that this ‘as ‘appened for you. You needed this love in your life after everything and it is clear just ‘ow blessed you are.”

“Thank you Fleur.” Hermione blushed slightly at her comments. It was difficult to stay irritated with her when she said things like that.

“Who knew that your decision to find yourself and ‘old true to what you found back in March would bring you ‘ere to this point? You see, it is like I told you, trust to love.” Fleur’s eyes sparkled some as she said this, very much amused by the whole situation.

“That you did. Thank you for that Fleur. I don’t know if I would have been brave enough to go after this if it hadn’t been for you.” Hermione hugged the blond. “You really did help me have the courage to make this happen.”

“Pffftt… that is nonsense. It may ‘ave taken longer but your ‘eart would ‘ave driven you to it before long. As I said, the ‘eart it cannot be denied. Love is a powerful force ‘ermione and it pulls people together in ways that cannot be explained. Your love for ‘er and ‘er’s for you would ‘ave made this ‘appen. I knew it then and I know it know. You just needed to know that you could trust your ‘eart like you could trust your ‘ead, especially after Ronald and what ‘ad ‘appened to you at the Manor. For you that was the ‘ardest test of all. And see, you succeeded magnificently.” Fleur explained, with full and complete belief in what she was saying. Hermione had no doubt that Fleur was speaking the absolute truth as the French woman knew it. “We Veela, because of who we are, know the ways of the ‘eart far better than we know the ways of magic. And while our magic is strong, this is far, far stronger by far. I guess it would be fair to say that Love is our magic.”

“My head was all over the place even before we had gotten captured and when I showed up at Shell Cottage you really did help settle me down. You helped me so very much after the Manor and once I realized this was who I am that I cannot even begin to thank you. You have been so helpful to me through all of this insanity Fleur that I have no idea how I could ever repay you for all you have done for me, especially with all of this happiness I’ve found.” Hermione had a few tears gathering at the corners of her eyes as her emotions were running wild, particularly after their workout earlier.

Fleur hugged her this time, pulling her close before saying, “Mon amie, there is nothing to repay. We will be family and what’s more we ‘ave fought together as comrades. There can be no talk of debts between us.”

Hermione could hardly believe what she heard. Fleur just kept surprising her with her generosity. She had been so very wrong with her first impression of the French witch back in her fourth year. She hugged Fleur again, needing to make sure that her feelings were clear. “Merci.”

“De rien, ‘ermione.” Fleur headed back to Bill who cuddled her to him one armed and kissed her temple. It was a simple gesture but in it there was such an expression of love that it made Hermione smile happily for her. She was hoping that she and Ginny would one day be that clearly and comfortably in love, so that there was no question in anyone’s mind just by looking at them.

After another fabulous Molly Weasley supper, with more food than anyone should ever eat and what’s more there was more food than Ron could eat, everyone headed into the living room to chat some more. Sitting there off to the side, quietly watching everything, her fiancée talking to her favorite brother Bill, Hermione smiled as Harry came over and handed her a bottle of butterbeer as he sat down next to her. “You okay?”

“Yes, just a bit overwhelmed,” admitted Hermione. If anyone could understand what she was feeling right now it would be Harry. He had gone through so much that he should at least be able to follow what she was talking about.

“Yeah, you’ve had a lot of emotional stuff put on you this holiday and it’s not even over, what with Simon and Amy and now this.” He pointed out, gesturing towards her ring with his bottle. “Then there’s the added fact that this is the first Christmas after the War. It’s no wonder that you’re overwhelmed.”

She nodded solemnly. Harry did have a point there. “I also checked on my vault the other day. My God Harry, I have no idea how to deal with that.”

He chuckled some, obviously understanding where she was coming from, having dealt with similar issues. “I can give you some of the Black and Potter money, or properties or stuff if it will make you feel any better.” When she goggled at him he laughed at the sight. Once he quieted down he said seriously, “What? I’ve been planning on giving you some of that money forever Hermione. I really want you to have some and was planning on doing this before the Ministry gave us a bounty. Like the money in my vaults really means all that much to me, given the cost. You are my best friend, my sister, I mean, who do you think is the first person named in my will?”

She teared up at that admission and hugged him tight. “Harry it’s completely unnecessary for you to do that you know but thank you.”

Hugging her back just as tight he said, “You know the downside to saying you’re my sister Hermione? You get treated like family by me. When I put money in your vault all you are going to do is say thank you because I am your brother and I will always take care of my sister even if she has no problem taking care of herself. Hell, did you know we can even go down to Gringotts and make this all official even. Luna told me that the Goblins have this ceremony that’s not an adoption exactly but more than just friendship, some sort of Goblin blood friendship thing. I only understood some of the details and cultural stuff she was talking about but given my situation from what I understand you would basically become my sister, just not a Potter. I don’t really understand the details. That’s your job.”

He barely got that last bit out before he was being crushed in her arms, in one of the strongest Hermione Hugs ever. After a bit he managed to gasp out a somewhat faint, “Can’t… breathe…”

“Yes… oh yes Harry… let’s do this. I know it was all figurative and everything but if this becomes literal and legal after a sense we have to do this. You are the best Harry, the best brother I could ever have.” Hermione was starting to cry again. She was glad that she was wearing magically waterproofed makeup or she would look almost exactly like a raccoon by this point. There was no doubt in her mind at all. She had been crying too many times tonight to look like anything but a mess if it hadn’t been magic.

“What about Simon?” teased Harry, giving her a pointed look.

“He’s working on it and doing a good job I’ll have you know, but he has some competition. Oh… and on a similar note, I’ve thought about this for a while actually and when I get married I don’t really have a maid of honor in mind to stand up with me. You are my best friend and I can’t imagine anyone else being up there with me when Gin and I get married. I figured that Ginny was going to ask Luna to stand with her so I wanted to get my oldest and dearest friend as well. Harry, will you be my Best Man?” asked Hermione.

“Absolutely. I would be honored. I love you ‘mione and I know she will make you happy.” Harry grinned at her, clearly pleased with what she had asked.

“Thanks Harry.” She really was thankful for Harry as he had done so much for her that there was no way she could imagine getting married without him being right there with her. She wouldn’t have made it two full months at school if it hadn’t been for him.

“And I happen to know firsthand that she is undoubtedly kissing you right.” Harry waggled his eyebrows at her a few times suggestively.

“Harry!” She grabbed one of the couch cushions and started beating him about the head and shoulders. How could he say that? Did he think she didn’t know that already? And to say it like that?

He just laughed, covering his head with his arms for defense, only laughing louder. Amy squealed excitedly and ran over to join in, plucking up a pillow as well on her way over to the fray. After she got in a few hits, Harry plucked her up and used Amy as a body shield, managing to get Hermione to stop thwacking him as much, though a few blows managed to find him. Knowing that she really couldn’t do anything else, she stuck her tongue out at him and that made him laugh some more. Luna sauntered over casually, looked down at the pair of them and asked Hermione, “What did Harry do this time?”

“Hey!” protested Harry.

Not wanting to share what he had said with the whole room, who was now paying attention to them, Hermione leaned over and whispered what he had said to her. Luna looked over to Harry and quirked an eyebrow at him, “Really now Harry James?”

Harry swallowed and tried to smile an apology up at the both of them, looking like a sheepish five year old.

“Well, I guess fair is fair.” With that Luna grabbed Hermione and kissed her. This certainly surprised Hermione and her mouth opened as she was going to protest or something. Luna slipped her tongue in and after a brief snog where Hermione’s hands flailed about a bit, the blond stopped and set her upright. Hermione stood there, eyes wide, staring at Luna in astonishment just like many other people in the room. Luna seemed utterly unfazed.

Ginny walked up to the group of them, looking a touch concerned, and asked rather pointedly, “Is there a particular reason you were snogging my fiancée Luna?”

The blond grinned her dreamy smile at her and said, “Yes, there is. It’s all Harry’s fault.”

Ginny turned to glare at Harry, knowing without a doubt that Harry had to be at the root of this mess, like he almost always was. “Harry James Potter, what did you do this time?”

While Hermione snickered at this, Harry dropped his face into his hands, groaning at this attack and his girlfriend’s betrayal, “Wait, what! No, it’s not… I mean… but… Oh Merlin, why me?”


	42. Chapter 42

Forty-two

The feel of tiny, soft kisses being planted all over her face brought her to waking, making Hermione giggle a little. She moved her head some, trying to get her face away from the assault but nothing was helping. With a slight whine she said, “Stop…”

Ginny kept going, continuing her assault on Hermione, pausing only long enough to say her morning greeting, “Good morning Kitten.”

Attempting to squirm away, Hermione chided her fiancée, saying, “Ginny…”

“How is my beloved cuddlesome Otter this morning?” Her voice was nice and chipper, full of happiness. There was more happiness in her voice than se ad heard in a while. The grin on her face was one of the biggest that Hermione had ever seen from the redhead and that made Hermione smile back in kind. She looked so beautiful in the morning light and it made her heart swell.

Hermione reached up, sliding a hand behind Ginny’s head, fingers moving through the mussed hair, pulling her betrothed down into a loving kiss. It went on for a while, as she had gotten a good breath before hand and had gotten the knack of breathing through her nose as she kissed. After they broke apart, she pulled her head back, gazing into Ginny’s eyes with all the passion she was feeling. With a slight quirk of her lips she said rather formally, “Quite well, thank you. And how is my fiancée this morn?”

“She is quite well.” They both started snickering at that. Ginny’s eyes went soft again and she softly breathed out, “I love you ‘mione.”

“I love you Ginny.” They kissed again, this time with a touch more passion than before. Their tongues danced against each other, hands getting lost in hair. As heart rate rose higher and higher Hermione broke the kiss as her stomach growled and said somewhat reluctantly, “Come on Vixy, we should get up. My stomach sounds like Ron so I guess I’m hungry. You know that Amy will be up soon and she is going to demand some attention from both of us and may even try to burst in here. You know that you are going to be her favorite sister-in-law, right?”

“I’m gonna be her only sister in law, well, at least until Simon gets married.” Ginny replied with a snicker.

“There is that.” conceded Hermione with a faint smile.

With a slight grumble of realization, Ginny said, “I should head home. I want to see them and there were things planned for today before I told them I was going to propose to you. Besides I’ll be seeing you again soon.” said Ginny.

“Absolutely,” said Hermione, with a larger smile. How could she deny Ginny anything, especially after she had made her beyond happy last night. The only way she would be happier would be at their wedding and it might be a bit until that happened. “Besides, I still plan on us going out and having some fun on New Year.”

“That would be good. Let me get some clothes on, hug people, say goodbye and take off. Mum probably still has breakfast ready and her Boxing Day breakfasts are the best. I might even be able to catch Bill and Fleur before they leave. I really need to let Fleur know just how much I appreciate her taking care of you this spring.” Ginny kissed her briefly and sat up.

“Okay. Just so you know I am really looking forward to us waking up like this forever, in our own bed in our own place. It will be perfect.” She had a dreamy smile on her face as she contemplated this notion. Dreams of their life together had been a favorite daydream of hers as of late.

Ginny got a dreamy look as well, clearly enjoying that idea as well. “Yeah that will be nice. I do want to spend the rest of my life making you happy. I can’t think of anything better. Well, we can talk about getting a place and such later. We do need a place of our own.”

She stood and Hermione watched as her ass cheeks tightened while Ginny stretched her arms upward, even raising slightly on her toes as she did so. The view was absolutely delightful and one she could watch for hours. She made her appreciation known, “Mmmmmm… so nice.”

Ginny snickered and flexed her ass again, drawing out more sounds of pleasure from Hermione. “Thank you so much for sharing Ginevra.”

Shaking her head at the whole situation, Ginny pulled on her knickers and pants, tugging her shirt down as she was not bothering with a bra since she was just popping home where she was going to change. Her breasts were perky enough that one wasn’t essential all that often and Hermione liked this fashion development as well. Once Ginny had done that she grabbed her overnight bag and looked down at her fiancée who had been staring at her lustily the whole time. “Shall we?”

Since her lovely little show was gone, Hermione got out of bed, and put on a nightgown with a robe over it as she really did not want to get dressed yet. She walked downstairs with her fiancée, holding her hand the whole way. Ginny said a quick goodbye to her parents, Simon, and Amy. Amy complained about her wanting to leave as Amy had wanted to do something with her but Ginny just hugged her again and said she would see her soon. Hermione smiled at that. Just seeing that, with the age differences made Hermione have wonderful thoughts about the kind of parent that Ginny would be. They warmed her nicely and made her look forward to the future even more. After another good kiss by the back door, they rested their foreheads together and Hermione said, “I’ll miss you Vixy.”

“I’ll miss you too, love. Once you have a better idea of the plans for New Year send Perdita on over and I’ll let you know what I think of the idea. It sounds fun but let me see what we have. I’ll find out if there is anything else going on that might work as a counter offer.” Ginny kissed her forehead then her lips before she bundled her coat about her before stepping out the backdoor. With a pop, she was gone in a moment.

Hermione felt a bit subdued as she ate breakfast. She had spent her first night engaged to Ginny together with her fiancée but now she was alone. It made her a bit sad as she wanted nothing more than to spent time with her fiancée. The simple breakfast of tea and toast helped as she wasn’t sure she wanted anything more right then as her heart hurt from loneliness and that made her stomach a bit jumpy. She missed Ginny despite knowing she was going to see her again soon. That didn’t change the missing only the fact that it was not going to be a long wait until she saw her again, could hold her in her arms, and they had returned to Hogwarts.

Her mother looked at her a bit worried as Hermione went up to her room. She turned and gave a rueful smile and shrugged, acknowledging that she was feeling off but she needed some time alone. With a slight nod, her mother acknowledged that and gave her an understanding look. There was no doubt in her mind that her mother understood the pain of being apart from the one you love. Walking up towards her room, she was trying to decide what to do: study something, read one of the novels she had for fun, or perhaps write Ginny a letter and send it with Perdita as she already had most of her plans ready for New Year made. There were various options available and she wasn’t sure which might be the best plan. Since it looked like she wasn’t going to need the privacy to propose perhaps it might be fun to go out and do the things she had planned with Harry and Luna in tow. That might change the plans some but it was an idea and sounded fun. It was certainly something that could be worked with. Realizing that she should have made a set of mirrors for her and Ginny, as that would have made this easier and made the separation seem less pressing, she grumbled at her lack of foresight as she decided to write the letter. The sooner it was sent off the sooner she would hear back.

It didn’t take her long to write out her rough outline for the evening and mention her idea to offer Harry and Luna the opportunity to join them. As far as she could figure, it might be a good time, the four of them running around London going to all those spots, enjoying dinner together in a rather posh restaurant. The fact that she knew that she could afford that made her a lot more comfortable with the idea. Since Ron wasn’t dating anyone it would certainly be awkward if he joined them and it would shut down the free flow of conversation between the other four, of that she was sure. She wasn’t trying to ignore him, it was just that this was much more of a couple sort of thing and not being in a couple Ron would most assuredly feel out of place and that would only make his irritation at her and Ginny worse. It would almost be akin to rubbing his face in their relationship quite rudely. He said it was better but there was no reason to push things or push him. You just didn’t do things like that to people you cared about.

As soon as she rolled the letter up and ready to go, she walked out back, looking up into the trees for her owl. She called down Perdita from where she was roosting, pet her a few times, letting her know what a great bird she was. The owl preened under the praise and after having a set of head scritches that made her preek contentedly, presented her leg. Hermione smiled at that and then tied the letter on. She pet her owl again, told Perdita where to go, and held her arm out. The large owl from Australia took wing and headed off towards the Burrow.

Hermione watched her owl fly off for a bit and then headed into the kitchen where she made herself a cup of tea. The warmth the drink would give her would be nice after having stood outside for a few minutes. It wasn’t Scotland cold but it was still winter after all. As she waited for the water she realized that she was still in the original quandary that started this mess: study or read for fun. With either answer she knew that a nice cup of tea would be appreciated. It took her a few minutes to go through their collection of teas to find the particular type she wanted before she made her cup. The tea that would be best while reading was not the same tea that was good for breakfast, everyone knew that. She wanted to have the best tea for the job and this seemed to be the best bet. As she was walking back to her room with her still steaming mug, Simon came up to her from his room and looked really nervous. She frowned a bit seeing this, wondering what could be wrong that was leaving him in this state as he asked, “Can I talk to you Hermione?”

“Sure Simon, come on in.” The two of them walked into her room and she moved to sit at her desk, gesturing at her bed for him to sit at. He glanced at the door after he sat, clearly uncomfortable with it being somewhat open. Hermione raised an eyebrow at this, wondering what this was about. What was going on and why did it make him so worried? What exactly did he have to say that he didn’t want anyone besides her hearing? She stood up and closed the door after a few short steps. Once it was closed, she drew her wand and cast several privacy and locking spells, to insure that they would not be disturbed. She put her wand on the edge of the desk as she sat back down; noting that he seemed ever so slightly more relaxed after she had done that. Her brows furrowed in worry as she asked, “Are you okay Simon?”

He had twisted his hands into his shirt, fingers tight in the material, stretching it slightly. Not looking up at her he just shook his head.

Since he was not quite ready to tell her yet whatever it was he wanted to tell her she had some of her tea, hoping it would help calm her mounting nerves, as anything that had him this upset could not be anything good. It worried her and she had no idea what to do to fix this. How could she help her little brother if he was unable to tell her what was wrong? She would do anything to make him feel better however this was his battle and she could only watch helplessly as he was struggling within to get the words out.

After taking a few deep breaths and letting them out with a shuddering exhales, each growing less ragged, Simon looked up at her. His eyes were filling with tears, shiny with the moisture and she could tell that he had probably been crying earlier. What was going on? His voice was plaintive as he asked, “Hermione, can you help me?”

“Simon you know that I would do anything I could do to help you and that was before you became my little brother so why would that change now. Tell me what’s wrong and I will see what I can do to help you.” She smiled at him hoping to lighten the mood a little. He seemed so crushed under the weight of something and it was worrying her. Outside of Harry and the events of his life, what did an eleven year old have to worry about this much?

“I… I got a present from Luna…” He hesitantly started, his words faltering slightly and trailed off.

“The one you wouldn’t show us?” It was a bit of a dumb question she knew but it was a needed clarifying question in case Luna had given him something else. With her it was entirely possible and she didn’t want her analysis to fall apart because she made a faulty assumption. She had done that too many times already and they had never ended well. It was better to ask the dumb questions up front than to completely fail at the end.

“Yes.” Another deep breath, another shuddering exhale, only he was a bit calmer this time. He had clearly resolved at least some of his indecision on this matter and appeared more able to speak. Then she could see the panic set in as he said, “She… I don’t know how she knew but she… Luna knew. She knew! I tried so hard but… she…”

What he was saying did not make any sense to her and only upped her anxiety and confusion. She needed to figure this out or she would be at a loss for how to help Simon with the exception of just sitting there and maybe holding him while this emotional tide rolled through him. Her voice was soft as she asked, almost afraid to discover the answer, “What did she know Simon?”

“She… I… she… Oh God, don’t hate me. Please Hermione, don’t hate me. Don’t send me back. Please don’t send me back. Please.” Tears were falling now and he sort of curled up in on himself.

She moved quickly over to the bed and pulled him into her arms and lap. He was a good bit heavier than Amy to be sure but at the moment she couldn’t have cared less. He was in pain and comfort was something he obviously needed, comfort and reassurance. She may not know what was going on but there were things that she knew that she could tell him that might just help. “It’s okay Simon. It’s okay. Shhh… it’s going to be okay. I would never send you back to them. Never! They don’t deserve to have someone as wonderful as you. And I am also sure there is nothing you could have done that is terrible enough that I would hate you for it. Shhh… it’s okay. Now, what’s wrong?”

After a few sniffles, Simon’s emotional maelstrom quieted some and he nodded, trying to work his way deeper into her embrace. She asked, “Do you believe me?”

“Yes.” He replied in a subdued voice, holding on to her tightly, trying to snuffle back the tears.

“Will you be okay to tell me now? I can’t really do that much to help you if I don’t know what’s going on. Now, what was it that Luna knows that has you so scared? You can tell me. It will be alright.” Luna was such a sweetheart and such a gentle person what could she have done to have upset Simon this much? What could she have given him as a present that could have set this off? It beggared her imagination. If Luna had hurt him not even Harry would be able to stop Hermione from making her pay. Nobody hurt her family, nobody.

He bowed his head, curling up a bit tighter and shook a little as he answered her quietly, hesitantly, afraid of what her response might be. “I… I think I’m a girl. That’s what she knows.”

She looked down at his face in surprise, noting that he was biting his bottom lip, pensive, and still trembling a little in her arms. Simon was clearly in suspense over how she was going to react to this news and she had to admit most of what she felt at the moment was surprise. There honestly was no disgust or repugnance, merely surprise and a touch of shock that he had to have been going through this the whole time she had known him and she never knew. She kept her voice calm as she answered, making everything seem alright, so he would relax some more. The last thing he needed was her overreacting, “Okay… I take it that the present is what set this off, your being so upset? So what did she get you that you were afraid to show us?”

“She… she got me a nightgown.” Hermione barely heard what Simon had said, but it was loud enough.

She tipped his head up, noting the red cheeks; so that he could see that she was smiling and not angry or upset with him in any way. It might help reassure him that the world was not ending now that he had told her this. “Well, you know that she is very observant and catches a lot of things others miss. Then there is the fact that she might be a bit of a Seer, with some of the things she says and how they come true. No one is really sure. She’s just really good at spotting things no one else can. With her catching on, it’s nothing to be frightened of. You know she would never hurt you. Do you like it? Your nightgown?”

Simon nodded again, blushing brightly at her words. He wound his fingers in his shirt again as he answered, “It’s really pretty and soft.”

Hermione cuddled him, hoping that would give him more comfort while trying to figure out what to say about this. This was kind of radical news and shook her perception of her now brother. Her mind was racing, processing all sorts of data, compiling pieces of disparate information from when they had met until now, attempting to make sense of all of this, to put it together into some sort of coherent picture. The idea that Simon was a girl was really different and truthfully was not something she had expected him to say. This was a subject that she knew almost nothing about and had no idea what to say or what to do. Was there a magical method or technique to deal with this problem? Was this an accepted condition in the magical world where it wasn’t very much in the muggle, somewhat akin to their different view on same sex marriage? What could she do for him, to help him since she was his magical guardian and therefore any decision about those sorts of things, like medical treatment and even his ability to change, if it were an option, would be hers to make in the magical world. Maybe she really had been jumping the gun thinking she would have been ready to take care of Simon and Amy full time. Glancing down at her left arm, at the words carved in there, at what they meant and what they had come to mean her purpose firmed. It would be difficult, making this work, but she could manage. She struggled to keep the gentle smile on her face and her voice calm as all this raged inside her. “That’s good to hear. I’m glad she got you something that you liked even though it was troubling. So how long have you felt this way?”

He shrugged, looking at the floor again. His body absolutely screamed his discomfort and she was at a loss as to how to make him feel better. He tightened his arms as he said, “I’ve always felt this way. If it wasn’t weird things happening because of accidental magic that got me in trouble it was me not acting ‘right’ that did. I… I told my Mum about all this when I was six and… and…”

Holding him close as he cried, Hermione again had an overwhelming urge to find Simon’s parents and do things to them that would surely result with her spending time in Azkaban. Letting Bellatrix loose on them might not even be enough of a punishment for all they had done to him. How could they have done any of that? To their own child? Did any of this really matter in the end? “It’s okay Simon, they can’t hurt you anymore. I’ve got you.”

“I got caught a few times in my mother’s clothes and then they… they hurt me like they did if something strange happened. Sometimes it was worse. I tried to stop. I did. I don’t know why I couldn’t.” He kept crying and Hermione was at a bit of a loss for what to do. She needed to do something for him but what? She tightened her embrace and whispered a few soothing sounds as her mind ran.

“Look, how about tonight you come to my room, bring your nightgown with you, and you can sleep in the bed with me. The door will be locked magically and we will be safe. You can relax, be you, and we can talk and work this whole thing out. No one will find out what you are wearing or anything. I promise you. Does that sound like a plan?” asked Hermione. She wasn’t exactly sure but this sounded like an idea that might at least let Simon know that she was alright with this. Together they might be able to come up with something, at least that was her hope.

Cuddled up against her, he nodded. She rubbed his back some trying to calm him down. Her idea seemed to relax him some but clearly this whole topic of discussion was distressing for Simon. Hermione needed to get him to stop stressing out over this so she would have a chance to research this topic so she would have a basic working knowledge of the topic by tonight. “Now why don’t you go to your room and lie down for now? I have to run into London really quick and I will see you a bit later okay. You will be fine and tonight we can talk more. If you need me before that you know you can always come and get me. Is that okay?”

“Yes. Thank you ‘mione.” His voice was subdued. He sounded drained, like he was wrung out and could use a nap.

“You’re welcome Simon.” She watched him walk out of the room after she got rid of the privacy spells. When he closed the door behind him she fell back onto her bed with a groan of frustration. This really was an intense situation and she needed information. There had been a few asides in some of the books she had picked up over the summer but nothing in the kind of detail that she was going to need. No she needed actual dedicated information on the topic. That set her purpose and she stood, moving to get dressed.

Once she had gotten ready to go, she said her goodbyes and headed out, apparating into London, to the same spot she had used before when she had visited Gay’s the Word all those months ago. This place certainly had helped out last time she had needed answers, giving her plenty of books on the subject and that allowed her to find answers to her questions. They had even managed to give her plenty of good advice which had proven useful. She walked in to the store and spotted Sharon again working behind the register. This surprised her some. Clearly that woman either worked a lot or she just liked hanging out there with a nametag on. Hermione walked up to the saleswoman and asked politely, “Hello, I was wondering if you have any books about Transsexuals or Transsexuality?”

“Oh sure, we have some right over here. These four shelves right here hold our collection. Let me know if you’re looking for anything specific that we don’t have and we can special order it for you.” Sharon smiled courteously and then walked back to the register as someone was heading that way.

Hermione scanned the titles of the books in front of her and her brain just wasn’t taking any of this in. This wasn’t helping. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Simon, her poor put upon Simon. No wonder he didn’t make friends with the boys, he wasn’t one himself or at least thought that. It was clearly that he felt awkward and out of place for the most part. She felt bad for him and wanted to do whatever she could to help him with this completely overwhelming situation however was at a complete loss as to what to do. She exhaled and opened her eyes again, trying to scan the titles more critically.

This was one area where she only had the vaguest bits of knowledge, only enough to know that such a thing existed and that it wasn’t necessarily a perversion. That had been enough to keep her from scaring her brother, well possibly sister now that she had been told this, by reacting poorly. Honestly she didn’t know at this point what the truth could be as there were too many variables to consider. This was new ground and she was excited about learning new things thanks to it but also terrified about possibly upsetting Simon since she didn’t know something and might just say or do the wrong thing because of that. She hated not knowing, absolutely hated it. It made her feel out of control, like the world was going to spin off without her and she was going to fall endlessly with nothing to hold onto. It made her nervous and sick to her stomach. Knowledge gave her something to hold onto in uncertain times and places. No, she needed to learn a great deal of information on the subject and quickly. And she also needed to get books that would help inform her parents for that inevitable time when Simon was ready for them to know. The books helping Simon too might be a good fit as well.

That they would be okay with this was indisputable, as they had barely blinked at her being magical and were not even fazed by her being a lesbian. This should just be another new step for them that they would take without stumbling. Her parents were amazing in that way. It still boggled her mind how they could take a lot of things in stride. How they could love her after all she had put them through was something that she was at a loss to understand. She was utterly grateful for it but was honestly at a complete loss. They were just so amazing. She loved them so very much and was completely thankful for her parents in everyway.

Oh god… what about Ginny and Harry? How would they react? Clearly Luna would be fine with this revelation given her present but the others, what would they think? What would she do if Ginny turned on Simon over this? Who would she support in that case, her fiancée or her sibling? The thought having to make such a choice made her stomach churn unhappily. And Harry… that one was almost worse for her as it would feel like having to choose sibling over sibling. It would be an untenable position. She swallowed her fear and took a deep, calming breath, attempting to take hold of her thoughts. No, she couldn’t think about that right now, couldn’t think that way. Simon was at home this very moment, scared that his new big sister was possibly going to abandon him or something over this whole mess, that this might get out to everyone at school and he would lose all his friends. Hermione needed to make sure that he or maybe it would be she by the time this was over, whatever it turned out in the end that would never happen. She had promised to take care of Simon and that was what she was going to do. This piece of information changed nothing.

With an exhalation she opened her eyes and looked at the books again. She felt a bit calmer at this point and more able to look at them objectively, able to discern what was important from what was not. She needed to get this right the first time as it would be a while before she could get back here. One thing was for sure, that it would be very difficult to get these books while she was up at Hogwarts and she did not know if the Library had anything there on the subject. It was a far better plan to get what she needed now and worry about other matters later.

It took her a while to scan through the books, reading titles, back covers and table of contents, but finally she grabbed several that looked like they would be able to answer some of her questions in sufficient detail and maybe some of Simon’s as well, which was fundamentally more important. They would thus be able to answer her parents’ questions when the time came just as easily. That realization made her feel a good bit calmer and less urgent at the moment. One task completed the primary task. Now perhaps she could find something… fun for her and Ginny. She went to the lesbian section, which hadn’t moved, and browsed through the books quickly, finding a few on topics that intrigued her. They were also a few on topics that Ginny had mentioned once or twice and so they would be decent purchases for that reason as well. She grinned wickedly as she added those to her pile. She even found the fiction section and picked up a few titles that looked intriguing. Lesbian romance books sounded a bit more interesting than the books that Lavender and Parvarti had always been talking about. As soon as she was rung up she said goodbye to Sharon and headed home putting her purchases in her purse, so no one could see what she had bought or from where. It would certainly elicit questions if she walked in with a bag from that store.

After hugs, a brief chat with her mother, and grabbing another pre-reading cuppa, Hermione headed back to her bedroom so she could start reading the books she had bought. It was time for her to get into information devouring mode. When the door was closed behind her she used a weak locking spell, one an alohamora could unlock with ease and pulled the books from her bag, stacking them on her desk, arraigning them in the order she wanted to read them. She sat at her desk, placing a note pad and pen to her side, everything ready, and she got to work, approaching this almost as if it were her looking things up for Harry during the Tournament or the summer when they were preparing to face Voldemort.

The knock at the door startled her and she looked up from the book, realizing that her hand hurt a little, the muscles cramping a little. “Yes?”

“Hermione, dinner’s ready.” called her mother from the other side.

She stood up from her desk and stretched her back and neck, trying to loosen tight and sore muscles. It helped some and she shook her right hand, trying to get the muscles to stop complaining. Blinking a few times, she could feel the information settle into her mind and sort itself out, making various connections with preexisting information. She had several pages of notes and had gone through two and a half books during the time she had been up here. That wasn’t that bad all things considered and certainly would help her in preparing to talk with Simon. Rubbing the bridge of her nose she wanted to give her eyes a bit of a rest after the workout they had been given. Speed reading was a useful skill that had helped her more times than most anything else she had picked up before Hogwarts. Once she created some friction with her hands she put her warm palms over her eyes and sighed happily. That felt so good, the warmth soothing them nicely. Power studying was great in terms of information gained but it was hard on her body as she didn’t move much and lost herself to the world. Thankfully she would be ready to talk with Simon tonight as she had done all of this for him.

It would calm her some to be able to talk to Ginny for a bit before anything else happened but she didn’t really have an opportunity at the moment as after dinner they would be spending some family time together and then she and Simon would be together for the rest of that evening. No, she needed to calm down and center herself without Ginny. This was something she had to be ready for if she were going to be able to take care of Simon and this issue. It was also something she had to be able to do on her own if she were going to be able to do anything without Ginny being there as support.

She took her seat at the table and her mother asked, “So what have you been so busy with today?”

“You know, studying, since it’s the NEWT year. I just want to do my best.” replied Hermione.

“And so you’re busy studying instead of relaxing like you should?” Her mother gave her a very pointed look. “I thought you said that Ginny made you promise to not study over the break?”

“Yes, Mum, I won’t study again for the rest of the break. I promise. I just was thinking about something, a problem that was bugging me, and wanted to follow up on that. Will that help?” Hermione asked, checking to see if that was a nice compromise. She really didn’t want to spend her break in her room reading as she did have places to go and people to see, unlike before she had gone to Hogwarts. She had friends now and that ate more of her time, something she was happy to deal with.

“Some review is okay but the focused studying you did today… that can wait until you go back to school. You were missed today,” chided her mother gently.

“Sorry Mum. I’ll do better and try not to have things take up all my time. Like I said, I had something strike me and I needed to delve into it. I think I actually lost track of time some while I was studying. Sorry.” Hermione looked a bit abashed despite not really feeling that way. What she had studied that afternoon had been important and she needed that information so she could be there for Simon. That overrode most any objections that could be named to what she had done.

Smiling across the table to him, she hoped that settled his nerves. The last thing he needed at this point was to get asked about what was wrong by her mother before he was ready to talk to her. He smiled shyly back at Hermione clearly feeling a bit better than he had earlier. She did the dishes after the meal, thinking about what she was going to say to him, about what she could do to help. This whole situation was way beyond her comfort zone but she would be strong, for both of them if need be. She had done too much in her life already that was beyond her comfort zone for this to faze her. Being Harry’s friend had really stretched her experiences far beyond what normal students got.

Waiting in her bedroom, she had changed into her night clothes, making sure that she had enough pillows for them to sleep with. She was glad that she had a larger bed now. It would be different sleeping with someone besides Ginny but this was certainly for a good cause and it wasn’t like Simon was going to steal her away from her fiancée. There was a soft knock at her door. “Come in.”

Simon walked in holding some stuff bundled in his arms. He looked rather anxious. “Hi.”

“Hi Simon, come on in.” Once he had fully stepped into her room and the door was closed behind them, she cast a few privacy spells to make sure they would not be interrupted while they talked and such. She looked over at him and asked, “Did you bring your nightgown?”

Blushing, Simon nodded, looking down at the pile in his hands.

“Was it just the nightgown she gave you or was there more to it?” She asked nicely, patting the bed next to her, inviting him closer. He was tense again and she needed to calm him down if she was going to be able to make any sense out of him and his statements.

“More.”

“Maybe you can change and then we can talk. I have drinks for us and snacks, so we should be fine. Mum knows we’re hanging out, just you and I. I told her it’s because we’ve wanted to hang out like this for months but school has made that difficult, given that they segregate the boys and girls. She’s okay with that and is going to keep Amy from bothering us. She just thought it was kind of funny but was alright.” She went over to her desk to give Simon some privacy to change, looking down at her notes. “I bought some books today, on what you told me about earlier.”

“You did?” Simon sounded quite surprised by that. “Is that why you had to go into London?”

“Well, yes, you had questions so I went to find answers. It’s what I do. Luna may have seen it first but I am here for you to help you with it. Never forget that. All the stuff I learned about was muggle, of course, so I don’t know what the wizarding world has to offer about this but I did learn a lot. Are you ready yet?” asked Hermione curiously, wondering what Luna had gotten Simon. Her curiosity had been peaked ever since yesterday morning and in just a moment she would have her curiosity sated.

“Yes.” The nervousness that filled that one three letter word made Hermione feel bad. Simon definitely needed a hug once she turned around.

The nightgown he was wearing was of an older style, basic white with a gentle ruffle on the bottom and a little simple lace around the straps and neckline. There were even white buttons partially down the front. It was something that surprised Hermione as she had not expected to see something like that in the wizarding world, seeing as she had owned something like that before she had gone to Hogwarts. It was a fairly simple nightgown all things considered which might explain why both groups had such a similar design. After her first year she had traded in the nightgowns she had previously enjoyed and worn for pajamas as they were far more practical with all of the running around the three of them tended to do at the strangest of hours. She had to admit that Simon looked cute, especially since he had not cut his hair since arriving at Hogwarts and perhaps had not had one beforehand as well. When she had met him he did not have an extremely short hair but rather a more normal boys cut. If she squinted she could just imagine his shaggy hair as a pixie cut, maybe. She hadn’t really noticed his hair getting shaggy but then again with Harry and Ron as friends how could she? “That’s very pretty. It looks good on you. I must say that Luna has nice taste.”

Simon’s smile was worth this whole plan as she hadn’t seen him really smile since Christmas now that she thought of it, not since he had opened that present from Luna. This was something that needed to be fixed if only to ensure that he would stay happy. When she got back to school perhaps she should have a quiet inquiry with Madam Pomfrey or a search in the Restricted Section of the Library could let her know what options the magical world had to deal with this issue, compared to the muggle. While she might know one side of the issue she had no clue about the other. She would have to keep running double time if she was going to be able to help Simon through this mess.

She sat on her bed and pat the cushion, just like she had done earlier. “Come on up and sit next to me. Let me tell you what I learned. It’ll be okay, just like I told you.”


	43. Chapter 43

Forty-three

They were all sitting together in a compartment of the Express heading back to school, relaxing after the end of the break. No one else was in there as Ginny had made sure to bar the door after the four of them entered. Simon was currently cuddled up against Hermione after finishing explaining to Ginny and Luna what he felt about himself and needed the comfort that she provided, shaking a little in her arms. Hermione had locked the compartment even more securely and put up a few privacy charms before Simon had started in on his story so he would not be interrupted or overheard while he spoke to them. This was important and she would not let Simon down, not if she could help it. The last things she wanted him to deal with was getting teased over this and that was a real possibility if this got out.

Luna just beamed at him, clearly proud of his ability to get all of that out. He smiled back at her a bit hesitantly, faltering a bit probably from nerves. Hermione could tell that he was not exactly sure how to deal with her after everything that had happened, as the nightgown had sort of driven him into revealing this secret, perhaps before he was ready. Ginny sat back in her seat, a thoughtful and slightly confused look on her face as she said, “Hunh.”

The three other occupants of the compartment turned and looked at her quizzically, trying to read her expression. Hermione couldn’t let it lie and asked in an oh so elegant manner, “Hunh?”

“Well, you know how there have been all those things about Simon which seemed, I don’t know, a bit… different that couldn’t really be accounted for? I have been wondering about them off and on for a while now because they just didn’t seem to make any kind of sense. He seemed like a perfectly normal boy to me except for getting along well with the girls. Honestly, the only guy I’ve known who seemed to be able to hang around a girl comfortably at your age was Harry and there are other reasons for that. Well, now knowing this they make perfect sense. Everything is falling into place.” Ginny said this while she was still looking more inward than out, bobbing her head in agreement with herself.

Simon bit his bottom lip, shifting a bit, unsure how to take that, and he looked over at Hermione who just shrugged. She really had no idea what to say to that either. After smiling at him, she tightened her hold on him, making sure he knew that he was cared for. That might help with his ability to cope with all of this or at least give him comfort. Hermione looked over at Luna, realizing that there was something that had been plaguing her for a few days now and she had to satisfy her curiosity. “So how did you know?”

“What do you mean?” Luna asked innocently, as if she were unaware of where this line of questioning was going. Hermione wondered why she was hesitating in saying anything. “How did I know what?”

“How did you know about Simon?” clarified Hermione, so that there were no misunderstandings and Luna couldn’t dodge the question. This was something she really wanted to know about. Luna had known about Simon almost from the beginning it seemed, from what she could recall, and that meant something had to have slipped. She wanted to know what it was in case she had to do something to help protect Simon from other people finding out in the same manner.

Luna smiled in her usual dreamy manner and said, “Well, I knew there was something from the very first, as there was that nudge I often get. It just kept drawing my focus. It was a few days later however when it all fell into place and I understood perfectly what was going on. I also realized then that it was Simon’s issue and decided that it would be best to wait to be told. There was no reason to say anything if Simon was uncomfortable. The only other thing was that I was going to be there however I was needed.”

Hermione chuckled at that, shaking her head in disbelief. Luna just blew her mind sometimes. She knew the girl was observant but that was insane. “A couple of days? Really? Honestly Luna… that’s crazy.”

Simon gaped at her with incredulity, hardly able to believe what he was hearing. Ginny looked similarly effected by that realization. Luna nodded and smiled happily, quite pleased with the way things played out. She looked down at Simon and calmly said, “Just so you know Simon, in order to watch out for this, you have a… way of looking at girls your age and some of the older girls that is more layered with want and jealousy than desire. It simply was a matter of putting together the why. I must admit it was a pretty puzzle which made me realize that you might want something pretty of your own. So I bought you the nightgown so you would have one of your own as I figured you didn’t have one of your own. I am glad you kept growing out your hair, it will look so pretty soon.”

Simon looked a bit worried at that revelation, “So that’s why you bought me that. Do… do you think anyone else figured it out? What you did?”

“Probably not. If Hermione, who is absolutely brilliant, was not able to figure it out from the same clues that I had then it isn’t likely anyone else was able to,” stated Luna knowingly, rather sure of her information.

Simon gave a very relieved sigh, slumping some against Hermione. “That’s a comfort. I’m okay with you all knowing, as I know you’ll all look out for me, but I’m not ready for anyone else knowing about this. I… I think I need to know more about things.”

“I’m sure it is a comfort,” said Ginny. “You don’t need any more stress. You’ve had too much happen to you in your life already that you could use the break. I’m just glad you got this out and you have us.”

“Uhm… yeah… so… what did you guys do for New Year? You never told me.” Simon frowned as he changed the topic, looking accusingly at Hermione.

Hermione understood how Simon might need to take a break from the subject. She also remembered how much he did not like the fact that she hadn’t told him anything about what she had planned. He had huffed some and that had been rather cute all things considered. “Well, you know how I told you about the fact that I had planned to propose to Ginny on New Year.”

“Yes.” He cut his eyes over to Ginny as he said that. The redhead just grinned back at him.

“So, after Ginny said it was fine to invite them, I talked to Harry and we agreed that it might be a fun thing for the four of us to do. We adjusted the reservation which didn’t take too much and that was it. Dinner was fun. We went to a nightclub that I’d heard about afterwards.”

Luna jumped in at that point, really excited and unable to contain her excitement and amusement. “It was a lesbian club. Harry was uncomfortable for a while once he realized that but then gave in when he noticed that no one cared about his presence. And he wasn’t the only guy there either.”

Ginny snickered at that. “Oh god that was really funny. We were all out on the dance floor, he looked around for a bit and his eyes kept getting wider and wider before he asked, ‘Uhm Hermione, is this a lesbian club?’ We about fell over at that. That almost made the evening.”

“Do you remember his face when I asked him if I should help him look like he could blend in better?” Hermione grinned, remembering the looks that had been on Harry’s face as the other girls broke up laughing. It really had been funny. But the dancing had been a lot of fun and certainly a lot less… formal as compared to wizard dancing. However when you compared everything to the approximate time period the rest of wizarding society was based on, or had reached socially, she had to admit it made sense that some of the social issues were as they were. The dancing at the club was a lot freer however. That was something she could appreciate. And besides, Ginny had looked so damn hot gyrating out there. They had lost track of Harry and Luna as they had focused on each other so much, just trying to drive each other crazier.

“I maintain that Harry could make a very pretty girl if we did it right. His features and height could make it work quite well. Also, longer hair might give him some control over that mop.” Luna sighed as she looked off and inward, clearly able to picture it quite well. The others snickered at this.

“We danced for several hours, having fun, and then we went to watch the fireworks display. I think George could learn a thing or two from watching it, but you never know. His is quite good already. It was very impressive; I have to admit and made me wonder why we never have large firework displays like that in the wizarding world. Then we went home. You don’t need to know what happened after that.” Hermione winked at Simon who blushed to his ears.

When the color faded a bit he said, “It sounds like you guys had fun.”

“Well, you know what we did. What did you do?” asked Ginny curiously.

“We stayed up and then watched the fireworks on the telly. I got kissed by Mom. That’s it but it was fun, a lot more fun than I’d had before. Amy fell asleep before that but she’s six so that’s not a surprise.” Simon shrugged. “It was a quiet night for the most part. Mostly I was in my room and read one of the books Hermione got on gender stuff. It was really interesting.”

Luna gave her a look, shook her head, and chuckled. Hermione regarded her carefully for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on, gave up, and asked, “What?”

“When you went to the store for the books, did you ask them for a copy of Gender Changing: A History?” The blond teased with a slight snicker.

The others laughed lightly as Hermione grumbled. Was she really that obvious? Was the way she thought about a few things that well known? It was rather embarrassing but what was she supposed to do? Given that it actually was funny maybe she should share some of the truth behind things and make everyone amused. Simon really seemed like he could use that. “No. I had learned my lesson last time. I already did that when I first got books for me.”

Luna and Ginny gaped at her, astounded by what she had said. Ginny gasped out, “You did not!”

“I did. When I walked in there the first time I asked them for Lesbianism: A History. They didn’t have it.” Hermione looked down as her cheeks began to burn. Why had she admitted that?

Ginny and Luna fell over laughing, tears running down their faces. Simon looked a bit confused when she had admitted that but he was chuckling a little along with the other two. Hermione noticed this and sighed. Great, she would have to admit all of this out loud. It was unfair to leave him out of the joke. “When I first got to Hogwarts I constantly quoted my favorite book…”

“Hogwarts: A History?” guessed Simon with sudden understanding, his grin growing in size and his snickers increasing. “I noticed you have a copy of it on your bookshelf at home.”

“That’s the one. I also have a copy at school. I think everyone I know has heard me reference that book three or four times at least.” Hermione shrugged, her face coloring a bit more. She shook her head ruefully.

“At the very least,” tossed in Ginny helpfully. “According to Ron, he will never need to read the actual book because every part of it has been quoted at him at one time or another.”

Simon grinned broadly. He appeared to be happier than earlier and much lighter. She was succeeding. “That’s funny.”

“Hey, I was kind of freaking out. I had just realized that I liked girls, specifically Ginny, and because of that I wanted some books to give me information. That was a book that I knew had given me a lot of information so I was wondering if there was a similar title. It was the first thing that came to mind. I bought a lot of books that day, including a general history on the subject.” Hermione tried to mumble that last part but her words were apparently too clear.

“Wait, wait, wait… you mean you actually found the equivalent of Lesbianism: A History? You’re serious about that? Only you Hermione, only you.” Ginny snickered, shaking her head. “I so adore you.”

“It’s not called that but yeah.” Hermione wasn’t proud at herself for whining, but what else could she do? She had to defend herself somehow and this was the best she had in this case. She knew this was going to get back to the boys and she was not looking forward to the teasing. “It’s called Lesbianism Through History and is really interesting. There were a lot of things that I had no idea about and some intriguing facts and theories. I wish there were a similar book on Wizarding lesbians and what they have gone through.”

Once the chuckling died down, Ginny got up and kissed her, cupping her face lovingly. She blushed a little, turning her face away shyly. Hermione recovered from that and looked people in their faces, checking to make sure there was no more to be said about Simon at the moment. As no one could think of anything else to say on the subject, she cast Finite on her spells providing them protection. The protection went down and they were able to look out the interior windows again. They all relaxed and topics turned to more common things like other presents and activities over the break.

The remainder of the trip back to school went well. On her walk through of the train during her patrol, she only had to break up a few squabbles, which was easily accomplished for the most part by her clearing her voice loudly and looking pointedly at the miscreants. Fleeing seemed to be the common response. The fight between two fourth year girls over a boy did take a bit more intervention than that but in the end it was still a quiet ride. Everything was certainly uneventful based on previous trips she had taken. She approved of that completely.

When she was talking to Cameron, before handing the patrol off to him, she asked curiously, “So, have you discovered any new leads on who might be behind the attacks?”

He looked a bit disgusted, shaking his head, “No. I haven’t found anything out yet and I am quite irate over that. I went to a number of parties over the break and talked to a bunch of people. There are a few families left that are dark and have any degree of power which are traditionally oriented in the House that I believe might be the source of them. These are the ardent believers in blood purity but for one reason or another were unwilling to throw in with the Dark Lord except financially. How they got away with that I don’t know? So these are families that have lost some status socially but not all, as opposed to those who actually fought in the war and lost most everything. The problem is that this makes the whole process more difficult and not less. These are families that are used to staying in the shadows while they work. The few neutral and even good aligned pureblood students that are in the House tend to keep their heads down and avoid trouble; there just are never enough of them. Some of them had to play really complex games to not get attacked in House by Malfoy and his ilk and family status played a large part of that. Besides, I don’t know if you’ve thought about it but in addition to dealing with this my Prefects and I have been working overtime making sure that the one Muggleborn who got sorted into our House this year remains okay with all of this going on. She is so driven and determined to succeed that she is almost a Slytherin archetype. Somehow she has managed to get the other Firsties behind her as the year leader but against the older kids? A number of them don’t want to deal with this ‘taint’ to the House. I have actually heard a few mumblings in our Common Room before they realize that I’m there.”

“Oh Cameron, I had totally forgotten about her with everything else that has been going on. How is she doing?” Hermione asked, worried for the young girl. How had she managed to forget about her? Sure her life had been busy and full of insanity but it was her job as Head Girl to try to keep track of potential problems like this.

“Well, she’s no you, that’s for sure but it’s not for lack of trying. I think she has the highest grades in her year, at least in our House and possibly in some of the others. Mallory has really taken to things like a niffler to gold. I laughed when she told me that she had heard about a muggle writer who might be able to help her with some of the in-House squabbling. I told her that I doubted it would help as these were kids raised to play these games. Her parents sent her the books she asked for in late October and I don’t even know how but she has only got worse since then. She’s a right little terror there’s no denying. If Malfoy had been half as driven or as cunning, even a quarter as she is I am afraid of what might have happened to all of us.” Cameron shivered a little at that.

Hermione raised an eyebrow questioningly as she filed that little bit of data away. You never knew where the next Dark Lord or Lady could come from and anyone who could enter that House with nothing but disadvantages and turn the tide was not a person to ignore. Mallory certainly would take some looking after to ensure that the older students didn’t try to deal with her. If she had some time maybe she should find her and introduce herself? She could probably ask Professor Slughorn for an introduction if she really wanted one. There were options but there was a something more pressing at the moment. “Do you remember the name of the writer by any chance?”

He shook his head, shrugging apologetically, “All I remember is that it was something Italian.”

With a groan, Hermione realized who it had to have been. There really was only one Italian who she would have gone with if she had been trying to blend in with the Slytherins, one writer whose advice would have given her a clue how to handle that House. “I am almost afraid to ask, but was one of the books a bit on the thin side and called The Prince?”

Cameron’s eyes rolled up as he tried to recall that bit of trivia. “I think that was it. I can’t be sure but that sounds right. It wasn’t a book I was familiar with and she has been very secretive with it.”

“Yeah, watch out for her. Machiavelli, the writer, was very, very good at the political game in Italy in a period that was more cutthroat than we recently went through and from what I’ve heard about some of your inter-House politics, he would have been my go to source for how to deal with things. Well him or anything on the Borgias.” Hermione had to admit she was impressed. That really was a cunning little girl to have thought of Machiavelli. Mallory would have to be watched. Anyone that clever was certainly going to go far and hopefully she would not be a problem.

“Great, thank you so much. That just makes everything better. Thanks for making me feel so much better about my House. I have some thugs hiding in the Upper Years attacking younger kids in other Houses and a little megalomaniac in the Firsties. How’s Gryffindor been?” Cameron gave her a wry smile.

“Not bad really. All in all it’s been a quiet year, compared to the previous four.” That earned her a snicker. “The most interesting thing going on with my House is that the Firsties are split along the gender line, as expected, with one exception. That makes things a bit interesting. Otherwise most people are interested in Ginny and I.” She shrugged, not sure what else to say, gesturing with her hands a little. Really, besides Simon hanging out with the girls and her and Ginny getting together nothing much had been happening. She liked that about this year.

Cameron’s eyes widened as he spotted the ring on her left hand. He smirked and said, “Well, well, well… congratulations Granger. So you decided to take a real challenge and make an honest woman of Weasley? Good luck with that.”

Hermione snickered, fairly amused by what he had said. She would have to remember to tell Ginny. Luna would find it funny as well. “Actually she asked me on Christmas.”

“Well… that’s certainly something. I honestly thought you would have been the one to ask. The Quidditch team told me all about how you were sitting at her bed side after the accident. Very devoted, which is admirable. I should get going. Need to make sure no one runs off with the train. Talk to you later, Hermione.” Cameron smirked and waved as he walked off to make his rounds.

Once the Express arrived at the Hogsmeade station, Hermione double checked with Simon, to make sure their plan was still okay as far as he was concerned. She didn’t want to do anything without his approval as she was sure that would upset him and she didn’t want him to stop talking to her. They had talked about it last night before going to bed and he had agreed that her talking to Madam Pomfrey about everything might be a good start as he was far too afraid to do it himself. It had taken almost everything he had to tell Ginny and Luna, two people he knew loved him so it was understandable. She wasn’t sure where things would lead at the moment but if anyone would know what to do with this situation and if there was a way to help Simon through this it would be her.

The train was clear and the students all properly herded up to the school. She relaxed in Ginny’s arms, having ridden up in one of the last carriages up to the castle. This was certainly going to be fun, facing the castle newly engaged, with a new issue to try and solve as well as all the issues that she had left behind for the holiday. Standing in the entrance way of the castle, Hermione kissed Ginny sweetly before turning to go to the hospital wing. She needed to go there anyway so this wasn’t a trip for the sole purpose of the question, as her potion regime had changed after her visit to St. Mungo’s a few days into the New Year. Senior Healer Bainsley had been pleased with her recovery so far, as she was doing so much better in a lot of ways. The phantom pain occurred only rarely and even then it was more a memory of pain then an actual flare of the original pain as it had been earlier. She still had occasional nightmares, some quite horrific in fact, but they were also infrequent. A lot of the issues that had been bothering her before were no longer as problematic. This was all good news to her and gave her hope that she might actually get past this. She just wanted to get better. If she never woke up screaming again it would be too soon. Those nightmares were the worst as she relieved things or even worse recently were the ones where Ginny was the one being tortured and she was unable to do anything. She shuddered, took a deep breath to settle herself, and walked on.

The stroll through the halls was quiet and peaceful allowing her thoughts to drift. She smiled content and just enjoyed the distant susurration of the returning students moving through the castle corridors. It was a new year and finally a year free of Voldemort utterly. Sure his memory would remain and the effects of his malice linger but he himself and the looming threat of him was gone. It would be the first year in a long time for her in which there wasn’t some vague sense of danger hovering about, coloring everything in her life. That was a good thing so far as she was concerned.

If only it could last.

She knew her history, both world and wizarding, well enough to know that such things as fragile as Peace were never around as long as people wanted them. There was always something stupid that ruined it, some bit of selfishness or cruelty rising up, just like the Slytherin bullies had ruined the peace of Hogwarts. It was an inevitability and almost enough to make her cry.

She reached the familiar doors to the hospital wing and smiled. In all the years she had been here Madam Pomfrey had been one of the staff members she hadn’t exactly wanted to grow closer to, for several rather obvious reasons, but the continuous string of events she had gone through dictated otherwise. It was going to be strange to leave the school and not see her or any of the other teachers on a daily basis ever again. There was no time to be nostalgic at the moment as she wanted to drop off her new medical information and potion regime as well as have a brief chat with her before dinner began. She was hungry and waiting much longer might get problematic as her stomach might begin to make Ron like sounds in the near future. She could be maudlin on her own time.

There was one student lying in the beds, not Harry’s she noted, who looked particularly dejected with his face all swollen and slightly lumpy, his eyes hard to see. It was doubtful that it was mumps but she was sure it was something else with a strange wizardy sounding name. Gaps in knowledge, such as common childhood disease names and the like, things that only came with growing up magical eluded her. However, she was working on that and was sure to have that taken care of soon. She smiled at the miserable boy and headed over to the little office near the doors to the wing. With a knock on the partially open door she called out, “Madam Pomfrey?”

“Come in.” The voice sounded slightly distracted.

Hermione came in and saw that the school nurse was busy writing something down. She waited patiently, knowing that she would be seen when Madam Pomfrey was ready for her. There really was no reason to interrupt her work and her stomach wasn’t protesting vociferously yet. Being patient was something she could manage. The older woman put down her quill and looked up, starting slightly and saying with some trace of astonishment, “Miss Granger, this is a surprise. I was not expecting you by today.”

“Well, I saw Healer Bainsley over the holidays and he changed my potions around some. I’m getting better and this change should help keep me on track with my healing. I have a collection of them and the recipes with me.” Hermione was rather pleased to be able to say that.

“That’s good. I am quite happy to hear that. The fact that your potions have changed is a very good thing. Just set them down there, on that table. I’ll sort them and make sure your elf delivers them as necessary. I am sure you know the schedule. Was there anything else?” She gave Hermione a friendly and open look. It was obvious that she was happy for her and that helped Hermione summon her own courage for this next part.

“Yes… there is. It’s a little unusual so please bear with me while I try to explain. I was wondering if there some sort of treatment available for people whose genders do not correspond to the sex of their bodies?” Hermione wanted to approach this question in an oblique manner, so that no one person was getting narrowed down as the case in point. Giving away Simon at this point was not her intention.

She looked at Hermione for a moment curiously, finally turning in her chair to face her completely, and asked, “Let me see if I understand you correctly, you mean boys who are really girls and/or girls who are really boys? Is that what you are talking about?”

“Yes, exactly like that.” Hermione was glad that she had caught on without needing to provide any further information which just might indicate that she was talking about Simon.

Again Madam Pomfrey was quiet and sat there measuring Hermione with her gaze, trying to determine what she should tell her or even if. Hermione had seen that look before on her face many times when trying to get information out of her about Harry and a few times about Ron. The results had varied so she was hoping that this time they were in her favor. “Yes, this is a recognized medical issue and there is a course of treatment for it. It is a very rare condition and is more often seen in Muggleborn or halfbloods than anyone else. The supposition is that the magical core of the parents, specifically the mother, ensures that everything works out alright, that everything comes into alignment properly for the child, but no one is quite sure. There are several theories being looked at however this is neither my specialty nor field of study. However, there is a simple test that has been discovered to check for that condition, as it creates a sort of… imbalance you might say within the person’s magical core that gets worse as the person grows older. The sooner it is discovered and treated the better as the imbalance can lead to a number of mental issues such as anxiety, depression, and in really bad cases degrees of psychosis as the core struggles to balance things on its own. There are also some issues with magical energy flow but those are not nearly as devastating potentially. The treatment is effective but not exactly quick, taking several months to reach completion.”

“So this is a known issue and is not… uhm… problematic?” Hermione winced internally. That sounded bad to her but she wasn’t sure how to say this delicately. She sounded so disconnected from everything despite being very concerned with how this played out.

“Problematic?” Madam Pomfrey raised an eyebrow at her.

Hermione fidgeted some, her mind racing for a better way to phrase things. Something fell into place and then she clarified, “Yes, by that I mean that other people will give the person who is getting treated grief over the event, harass them and whatnot. Basically make it difficult for them to undergo this process.”

“Ah… now I follow. To answer your question, it varies, there are those who are fine with it, understanding that it is simply a medical issue and nothing to concern themselves over it. There are those who are ambivalent, vacillating between acceptance and repugnance. And there are those who find the whole issue distasteful, even abhorrent, especially a few of the purebloods. Some of them say that this is one of the rarer proofs that Muggleborn are lesser beings, that this is an inherent weakness in non-purebloods, that their bodies can’t even figure out who they are. Now, this was certainly a rather random and specific topic to have brought up. Why do you ask?” The Healer locked eyes with her and tried to figure out what she was thinking.

Hermione was glad that the nurse did not have any skill at Legilamancy, or at least not to the best of her knowledge. She would have to play this carefully in order to tell the truth of this situation without telling too much of the truth. “Someone came to me with some questions and concerns about this topic and I said I would ask about it. I looked into the muggle side of things and now I’m talking to you. Then I can go back and give them their answers.”

“If this is indeed the problem they are dealing with, the test to discover if this is the case is fairly straightforward and does not take long. And the treatment protocol consists of a few spells cast predominantly at the beginning and a series of potions taken over the remaining time. That’s it. Things may be a bit awkward early on for them as dealing with this problem does have its problems, such as trying to adapt to their proper gender, which can be a rather big shock at first, but soon enough they’ll be right as rain.” Madam Pomfrey smiled at her. “It is easier with friends of course. So please let them know that. And tell them that they will need to have a new name figured out as well, as the school records will need to be changed once treatment starts as the initial transformation is fairly rapid. We try to integrate the patient back into their life fairly quickly, so they don’t have a chance to overthink things.”

This was a lot better than she was afraid it would be. The whole thing sounded very straight forward and a lot less involved than the muggle version of the treatment, but that was almost a given. This was really good news for Simon. If this was actually the case and it was what he was dealing with soon she would have a new little sister. She could live with that. “Thank you for letting me know that. I’ll let them know about all of this when I see them. I’ll talk to you later Madam Pomfrey.”

“You too Miss Granger. Take care of yourself.”

Hermione left the hospital wing feeling a good bit more positive over this whole situation than she had earlier. If it were really that easy to deal with than Simon could be set to rights as soon as he had a name in mind, should that actually be the case. Of course that meant telling Mum and Dad as well as Amy all about this situation, which was sure to be loads of fun, but despite the stress involved she was sure it could be sorted with little worry. They were brilliant parents, the absolute best but she seriously kept hitting them with one crazy thing after another. One day they were sure to get tired of it. It was little help that it would be Simon’s issue as she would be the one bringing it to them. She sighed, letting out the tension she had been unconsciously holding onto ever since Simon had told her about this. Everything would work out, she was sure of it.

In no time at all she caught up to a group of students heading towards the Great Hall for dinner and wondered if she was going to beat Ginny there. She knew that her fiancée was not as food obsessed as Ron so it was unlikely that she had raced down there to get the ‘best’ seat, whatever that meant when applied to long tables. When Ron said that, she could neither make heads nor tails of it either. There was no real way of knowing so she would discover what was going on and who was where when she arrived, why bother stressing over it. Walking into the Great Hall, she noted that there was no Ginny or Simon anywhere about nor was Luna there either. With a sigh of frustration, she took a seat where they usually did and made herself comfortable.

Her thoughts were turning to classes and the things she needed to prepare in order to be ready for her NEWTs that were coming in less than five months, when all of a sudden she was dipped backwards and kissed passionately. She was surprised and ready to struggle until she recognized the feel of very familiar lips on hers and so she allowed the tongue access. She moaned her approval of this move, sliding a hand behind Ginny’s head and into her hair. Then Ginny sat her back up upright was a very satisfied sound. They ignored the few catcalls and cheers from several different places about the Hall and Ginny grinned at her. “Had to make sure there were no Wrackspurts, since you looked so pensive. Pre-emptive treatment you know.”

“Of course.” Hermione nodded as if that were the most logical thing Ginny had ever said to her. It would have made more since if Luna had said it but that wasn’t important.

“Good. Now is everything good with Madam Pomfrey? Did you talk about everything?” Ginny asked with a grin.

“Yes, everything is just fine. She was happy to hear about my progress and I got some interesting answers to my questions. From what she said it looks like that issue will be easier to take care of than we thought. It is all good.” She sent an encouraging smile across the table to where Simon was sitting, as he had just joined them.

He smiled back and looked a good bit more comfortable. Before he had been a bit uncomfortable but this really did calm him down. Her words seemed to give him some reassurance.

Feeling a bit exhausted, Hermione lay her head down on Ginny’s shoulder and closed her eyes. There was always so much going on and she was always the one right there in the thick of it juggling everything. That had been true in the years before now, especially in the years before now. How she had kept everything in the air was still a mystery but when it was a matter of survival apparently her skills came out of nowhere. Granted this particular holiday was not nearly as traumatic as some others had been in the past but her school year had been rather eventful and life changing so far and it was just January. Her last year had been disgustingly eventful and life changing is a whole different manner and things weren’t going to stop just because they won the war, were they? She still had her NEWTs, still had bullies to hunt down, and still had classes, a fiancée to love and care for as well as planning for her future and everything. What the hell was she going to do? She already felt like she needed another vacation and she had just gotten here.

Ginny rubbed ever widening circles on her back and with a voice filled with loving concern, asked, “Are you okay Kitten? You look a touch stressed. Do you need a potion or anything?”

Hermione shook her head ever so slightly, so as to ensure that her head did not come off Ginny’s shoulder. She was comfortable and had no intention of dislodging herself for any reason whatsoever. “No. I’m just tired and stressed, too much in my mind I think. A potion won’t really help with that at the moment. I think this is what I need more than anything. Once we’re done with dinner I just want to go upstairs, draw a hot bath and soak for a while, maybe with you joining me? I think letting this day go away and facing everything else tomorrow is the best plan for right now.”

Ginny’s hand came up and stroked her hair lightly, “If that’s what you want to do Kitten then that’s what we’ll do. That tub thing sounds lovely. I’m sure Simon’s girlfriends can keep him occupied for the evening without any problem. You can tell him all the news tomorrow if it can wait.”

With a huff, Simon frowned at them making both older girls smile at the sight. “They’re not my girlfriends.”

Hermione sat up reluctantly and fixed her gaze on Simon. He squirmed under the intensity of her eyes and she chuckled lightly, “Simon, they are your friends, correct?”

“Yes…” He looked at her nervously, as if she was going to trick him somehow.

“And correct me if I’m wrong, but they are girls correct?” She grinned at him, content in how that played out. It was so nice when people walked right into things. She didn’t have to exert effort or anything.

Simon groaned and lowered his head to his hands, shaking it slightly. He raised his voice a bit as he protested, “That’s not what you meant!”


	44. Happy Birthday Spectacular Spectacular

Hermione Jean Granger’s Special and Amazing Happy Birthday Spectacular Spectacular!!

Ginny walked with Hermione into their shared bedroom after dinner. Hermione had so not wanted to sit downstairs and be sociable with anyone tonight; instead preferring to go upstairs and cuddle with Ginny, maybe even read something depending on things. Being mentally tired she might not even get that far. She reached the Lion carving at the top of the stairs and she leaned in, saying quietly “Nargles.”

With a giggle that she barely tried to mask, Ginny said, “I never get tired of hearing you say that. It really is just cute you know.”

Smirking a touch, Hermione shook her head slightly and said, “I told you no one would ever guess it if they thought they knew me. Well, Luna might because Luna but other than her, no one would figure it out. I figured if anyone tried to get in they would go with obscure names of things in Latin or Greek, things that people would most expect out of me and to be honest that was my first impulse but I remembered something Remus said in one of his early Journals. That helped me think of something outside the box. I figured that you can’t get more secure than to do something no one connects to you.”

“Like I said, I just think you’re adorable when you talk about Luna’s imaginary creatures like that,” said Ginny as an aside while she was kicking off her shoes by the dresser.

Hermione bit her bottom lip as she looked somewhat thoughtful. She turned to face Ginny from where she was standing by the desk. “See… I’m not sure anymore that they are imaginary.”

Ginny’s head snapped around so fast that Hermione was afraid that she may have hurt something. Her fiancée stared at Hermione oddly, her eyes moving about as if trying to figure out what might be off. She spoke slowly, “Did you bang your head on something?”

“No, it’s just that her use of the creatures has been so consistent, so precise the whole time I’ve known her that it makes me wonder. Delusions always break down under the weight of details, all the research shows that. Luna’s Nargles and Wrackspurts especially seem to have some sort of substance however I’m not exactly sure what. They have far too… precise an existence.” Hermione frowned towards the end. This was a puzzle that did occasionally plague her and she really wanted answers and proof. It was difficult to take something like that purely on faith, even though Simon had made an excellent point on that issue when dealing with non-magical animals.

“Who are you and what have you done with my fiancée?” asked Ginny, her eyes bright with amusement.

“Har har. No, I’m serious Gin, there has to be something there,” protested Hermione, as she turned to drape her coat over the back of the desk chair. It had been needed a few times that day.

Ginny walked up and pulled Hermione backwards into her arms. Resting her chin on a shoulder the girl said, “That’s fine Kitten, I believe you. Now you are entirely too tense for your own good. I believe someone mentioned something earlier about taking a bath?”

Hermione turned her head slightly so she could catch Ginny’s eyes. Those brown eyes were filled with something that she tried to make sense of. She raised an eyebrow in question and said, “You just want me naked and wet.”

“I thought my Otter liked playing that way,” teased Ginny, hugging her gently. “Was I mistaken?”

A faint touch of color graced Hermione’s cheeks and she had to look away before replying, “Well, no, you were not mistaken.”

“Then perhaps we should take this somewhere more… damp?” Ginny purred out seductively.

Hermione snerked and shook her head. There were just some times when she was a bit disturbed by the woman she loved. “Oh Merlin Ginevra, that was terrible.”

“Would moist have been a better word choice?”

“Prat!” Hermione smacked her lightly on the arm. Really.

“Yes, but I’m your prat.” purred Ginny, leaning in to kiss Hermione on her neck, leaving her lips there long enough to draw a sigh from the brunette.

“That was nice,” said Hermione a bit dreamily.

“Come on ‘mione, it’s time for that bath.” Ginny let go of her, moved around, and took her hand, leading her towards the bathroom. The excited and playful smile just grew as they got closer.

Once in the room, Ginny started the water and adjusted the water temperature until it was just right. Lighting a few candles with flicks of her wand she quickly turned her attention back to her bushy haired lover. Ginny closed the distance between them with a few steps with a suggestive smile playing across her lips. With a gentle brush of her hand across Hermione’s face, she cupped her cheek, leaned in, and kissed her softly with more love than passion. Their mouths opened softly and tongues caressed each other, moans vibrating in each other’s mouths. Ginny broke the kiss and gazed into her eyes, thumb brushing her cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Gin,” said Hermione, her voice starting to grow a little husky as her desire was growing in anticipation. This was exactly what she needed. Ginny always did take such good care of her.

“Let me help you get ready for the bath.” Ginny gave her this grin that would not have been out of place on George or even Fred back before.

Her only response was to nod.

Ginny pulled Hermione’s jumper over her head and then smirked as she loosened her fiancée’s tie, sliding it from around her neck slowly. The feel of it being pulled like that felt good to Hermione. The redhead reached out and then button by button undid her blouse, bending down to kiss each little bit of exposed skin, a few quivers making her smile. Once the blouse was undone and pulled from Hermione’s skirt, it was shrugged from her shoulders to spill to the floor. Dropping to her knees before her, Ginny kissed Hermione’s exposed belly several times as she reached around and unzipped the uniform skirt. When it fell to the floor, bunching slightly against Ginny the redhead’s lips moved lower as her hands took hold of the tights and worked them down Hermione’s legs, enjoying the little shimmy to get them free from where they were pressed up tight against her.

Stepping free from the tights, she shuddered as Ginny’s hands slid up the back of her legs as she got to her feet, coming to rest on her ass, squeezing some as she leaned in to kiss her. The kiss grew more heated, and the pleasurable sounds they made filled the bathroom, the tile reflecting the sound making it louder. The sound only made things better as far as she was concerned. Hermione’s bra came free as hands drifted higher, fingers trailing lightly over the smooth muscles of her back.

Gasping slightly as Ginny stepped back, Hermione watched her lustily as Ginny undressed for her, not quite a strip tease yet not exactly tossing her clothes off in a frenzy. There was a luxurious purpose behind it that made Hermione want her more. Each new bit of exposed flesh just made her mouth water with her lust. Kicking her panties off towards the pile of their clothes, Ginny sauntered back over to her and tugged at the last remaining bit of fabric on her body. “I do believe someone isn’t quite ready for the bath yet.”

Hermione glared a little at her for the continued teasing. Knowing it wouldn’t do any good, Hermione took her knickers off, feeling the damp crotch pulling away from her skin. Ginny had gotten her wet so quickly that it was a magic all its own. She was surprised that she wasn’t wetter than she already was. With a few words or a touch Ginny could send Hermione’s libido into overdrive and that was something she so loved. Right now, all she wanted was her Vixen and the taste of her.

Ginny stepped into the bath, stretching a hand out, “Shall we?”

“I do like this idea Vixy,” commented Hermione, with her love overflowing in her words.

“An otter enjoying playing in the water, who knew?” tossed off Ginny with a smirk.

“Prat.”

“And proud of it. Now get in here and lie down.” Ginny gave her a glare which had Hermione moving to join her in the water.

Once Hermione settled into the hot water, lying back against Ginny, her muscles already starting to relax, she said, “You know, there’s no reason to sound like your mother.”

She yelped and jerked to the side as Ginny pinched her. “There is no call for that Kitten!”

Hermione giggled a little and just let things go, allowing her weight fall against Ginny with a sigh of contentment. Ginny ran her hands around Hermione’s belly holding her close against her and the brunette turned her head slightly in question.

Ginny leaned forward and rested her forehead against Hermione’s head, saying, “What? I believe we started something a while ago and we never quite finished. I figured that since you were going to do that to help with my stress and discomfort that perhaps I could return the favor?”

Hermione was enjoying the warmth, both from the water and from the feel of Ginny’s body and sighed, “Sure, that sounds good.”

Ginny chuckled a little to herself before lowering her head so she had access to Hermione’s neck. Once there she began leaving kisses and small nips all up and down the skin. Stretching her neck to allow better access, Hermione made little pleasure filled sounds. This felt so lovely, “Oh Gin.”

A hand slid up her belly to slide up the underside of her left breast to cup it fully. After a gentle but firm squeeze, Ginny’s thumb moved across and brushed the tightened areola and then ran circles around her perky nipple. As it grew harder, Ginny helped it along with a bit on light pinching that got Hermione moaning some. It felt so good and her desire kept growing. Sliding the other hand up to the other breast, Ginny’s hands worked on both of them in the same way while she kept kissing and sucking on her fiancée’s neck. Hermione closed her eyes and just focused on the sensations.

Things built, with more tugging, pinching, and rolling of the nipples and larger bites along the neck and shoulder, making Hermione gasp in her desire. Ginny held the breasts squeezing them, playing them to raise her desire and then, slid one hand down her belly and into her pubic hair. Slithering one hand through the tangle of hair and into the top of her cleft, Ginny started rubbing small circles, slowly going lower until she found the nub of her clitoris. Hermione leaned her head back even more, feeling the strain and not caring as she groaned out happily, the wave of pleasure making her shake a little.

Grinding her hips against Ginny’s hand, Hermione tried to get more contact, to get more pressure on her clit. She mewed happily as her fiancée obliged, moving her fingers faster, providing more pressure in just the right places. The girl’s fingers had a knowledge only experience brought. Hermione’s breath grew faster and faster, panting, shudders of pleasure riding her nerves like electricity, like… like the opposite of the Cruciatus, each moan dragged from her, each gasp in pleasure, each shudder at a finger traced sensually down her body working like a balm to her once ravaged nerves. Her breathing hitched, as the waves of desire grew, each roll of wave getting larger and larger, the speed of each flash of pleasurable lightning arcing through her body permitting her mere gasps of breath, sips of air as moans pushed air from her lungs, eyes unable to see anything, lids fluttering, hands grasping the edge of the tub, legs as wide as it would allow yet still give her the strength to push into those fingers, those fingers that never stopped, that never stopped, that switched from flicking to circling in a torturous attempt to keep her on the edge, her lip quivered, whimper of frustration breaking through, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes, faint moisture that was felt with each squeeze of her eyes shut, the waves growing higher and higher, far beyond what Hermione thought she could endure, panting, gasping, twitching, to come crashing down on her with a scream, a thrust of her hips, and a grounding of energy as her body was pulled down by the undertow to drown in the pleasure. She lay there in Ginny’s arms trembling, working to find her breath, the feel of the warm water returning to her perception.

“Oh Merlin Ginny… the things you do to me.” The words were difficult to say, her throat scratchy and dry. She needed something to drink.

“You do the same to me Otter, I just thought we should finally play in the water.” Ginny snickered slightly. “Seeing as I said no last time.”

Hermione to feel a bit of strength return to her limbs even though they were still tingling and with great effort turned, “That was fun. Now I wouldn’t mind getting out and continuing this on the bed. You do need to be rewarded for your excellent work.”

“Well thank you my love. I’m sure to enjoy that.” Ginny winked at her.

Hermione leaned in and kissed her, slipping her tongue between the redhead’s lips with little difficulty. When she finally pulled away she smirked slightly and quipped, “Let’s dry off and get in there so I can get you wet again.”


	45. Chapter 45

Forty-Four

After the fun and frivolity of Christmas it always took everyone a few days to get back into the swing of classes, including the Professors. Because of this there was always one thing or another that kept distracting her from focusing on her work at the moment and one of the major ones right now was people congratulating her on her engagement. She had been pleasantly surprised when Cameron had done it on the Express but since they worked together and he had manners she figured that it made sense that he had mentioned it. What had surprised her was how excited a lot of the girls in Gryffindor had gotten over the whole thing as well as the entire Quidditch team. Other players from other House teams came up and talked to her about it as well. All these students seemed thrilled about her and Ginny getting married. She had been told that same sex relationships were not taboo in the wizarding world and this was certainly driving that point home.

And then there were the teachers who were no better. Professor Flitwick spotted the rings on their hands and fell over in surprise, a move remarkably akin to her first day of class with him in first year. Of course on that instance he had been shocked over Harry and not so excited about the fact that he misstepped but the end result was the same. None of the others had been quite that exuberant in their response but had to admit that she was quite flabbergasted when Miss Pince came up to her and offered her congratulations all while she was in the stacks looking for some books for her Charms essay. It left her gobsmacked for nearly ten minutes afterwards. Compared to the others, having tea with Professor Cottington and chatting was relatively mild. There was even the pretense of needing to get together with them for the purposes of planning for the Spring. Thankfully, with everything being so calm overall, the two girls were able to handle the fuss easily and move on.

A few days later, while Hermione was heading back from her Potions class, one of the first year Gryffindor girls ran up to her looking a touch… something. She didn’t seem to be frightened or anything, just a bit concerned was the best she could figure out. Not really knowing the girl meant it was a lot more difficult reading her face. As she stood next to the Head Girl panting a little, Hermione asked worriedly, “Is everything alright?”

The girl shook her head, her blond braids dancing along with the movement. Her breathing slowed as she found her breath and she finally got out, “Miss Granger, me and the other girls are worried about Simon. Something is going on with him and we’re wondering if you knew what was bothering him?”

“It’s Artemis, right? What makes you think that there is something wrong with Simon?” This observation had Hermione concerned. She had thought Simon was doing okay with everything but there had been enough homework and Head Girl duties going on that she had not been able to really talk with him longer than daily greetings and the time when she explained the medical situation. If anything was wrong one of his friends would know more than she would. She should have realized that and taken it into consideration when she was figuring out what to do. It would have certainly helped out in the long run.

”Yes, Artemis. And Simon has been acting kind of funny lately. All of us have noticed it and we can’t figure out why. We know he’s usually a bit quiet when he isn’t with us but since we came back from holiday he’s been almost withdrawn. We’ve asked him to talk to us about what’s bothering him and that’s only made him withdraw more. He hasn’t hung out with us at all today and we’ve barely seen him any other day. Please help. We’re getting a bit scared for him as we don’t know what’s going on.” Artemis fidgeted some, her hands wringing slightly in front of her. She looked poised to run off and search for Simon right then.

Hermione was a bit frustrated with this development as she was unsure how to deal with this in an effective manner. She was sure she knew why Simon was acting this way, given what he had been told about his magical core and gender issues, but telling Artemis any of that would be a huge betrayal of trust. She couldn’t do that even though she thought that the girls should know if this was what Simon was going to do. With his desires and this potential issue there was every chance that he would be changing. These were his friends and it wasn’t like he would be able to avoid seeing them after it was all over as they would be his roommates as well. There were too many options and variables running around this whole thing and that put her in an awkward position. If she changed things the delicate façade they had built to protect Simon might just shatter. She hated this bloody situation for how terrible it was making things for everyone. Why couldn’t life ever be calm and boring for a bit? “I’ll go talk to him, Artemis, never fear. Once I know what’s wrong, I’ll help him deal with it and everything will be better. Trust me.”

Artemis hugged her quickly, which surprised Hermione to no end, and took off running down the hall. What exactly had Simon been telling the girls if any of them were comfortable with hugging her like that, out of the blue? Not that she was against hugging but it was certainly unexpected. Hermione just stood there and tried to figure out what needed to be done now. Perhaps it would be helpful if she knew where her brother was? When she was alone she pulled out the map, tapped it with her wand and said, “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”

The lines of the castle filled in the parchment and she searched through the moving tags for Simon’s. It took her a bit of scanning through the several floors but she figured out how to make it easier. Narrowing her search down to places away from everyone else had sped up the process considerably. After going through things she noticed he was in the first floor girl’s bathroom. That made her cock her head to the side and sort of stare at the map. Why would he be in with Moaning Myrtle? No one went there unless they were desperate to go or needed to brew Polyjuice. Part of her understood the idea of him going there to hide as it was rather isolated and it was a girl’s bathroom as well. That fact alone might make him feel better in some way she could not truly understand. She was so glad she didn’t have gender issues herself. The issues he had in just making it through the day or looking at himself in the mirror. Realizing that she was a lesbian had been hard enough to deal with and she kept trying to picture Harry and Ron dealing with what Simon was dealing with when she was a first year. That thought just made her shudder. “Mischief Managed.”

She headed up that way, trying to hustle in order to assure herself that he would still be there when she arrived. Granted he had not been moving when she had looked at the map, but there was no reason to assume he would continue to stay put. After a short jog, she pushed open the door slowly, and said questioningly, worry filling her voice, “Simon?”

Myrtle flew up in front of Hermione, glowering at her as she entered, and said, “Have you come here to tease someone else?”

She stared at the ghost and realized that here was another person she had failed to make amends with for the way she treated them before her realization. Thinking over the past it became clear about what she should do. “Myrtle, I am sorry about what I said before. I didn’t mean to tease you. You have been very helpful through all the years Harry, Ron and I have been going to school here. Thank you for that. And have you been helping Simon?” asked Hermione, not pushing her way in but waiting to resolve this with the ghost trapped here thanks to Voldemort’s malice.

Myrtle looked at her suspiciously, expecting some sort of trick from her, before finally answering, “Yes.”

“Well, thank you for helping my little brother. He needed help and you were there for him. Now, I just want to make sure he’s okay.” Hermione let a little of her emotion out so that the truth she felt would shine through her words.

Myrtle was clearly rather skeptical of what she was saying thanks to their history but in the end drifted back, so she was not keeping Hermione from completely entering. True Hermione could have simply walked through her to continue into the room but that was a bit rude and the sensation was unpleasant. This way might take longer but in the end it would be for the best. She looked around the familiar room and spotted him. In the back of the room by the toilets, sat Simon, his face wasn’t blotchy so he hadn’t been crying; he just sat there, knees bent and arms wrapped around them looking forward expressionlessly. His face was somewhat blank and this worried her. Maybe Artemis did have a point. Something was going on with him. “Hey Simon, are you okay?”

“No. I can’t stop thinking about all of this. It just keeps going round and round in my head and is making me crazy. I haven’t been able to sleep well for days. What happens if I take the test and it says yes? What happens if I take the test and it says no? How could I deal with either answer? I know what I know about me and that makes things worse. I don’t know what to do Hermione,” wailed Simon there at the end, dropping his head to his arms.

She came over and sat down next to him, noting that the floor was actually fairly clean, and she put an arm around his shoulders. He had been suffering and she hadn’t been there for him. Well, she would make amends for that right now. “Look, if the test says yes, then we deal with it. It can be that easy Simon if you let it be. There is no way Mum and Dad will want you to get sick even remotely because your core has issues. So you become a girl? I don’t think that they will care. And besides, won’t it make you happier to become the better sex?”

He nodded slightly, loosening up some as she spoke and responded a little to her joke.

“And if the test says no, well, we’ll think of something. At that point we need to look at other options if this is who you are. I don’t doubt you but all it does is make the situation more complex not insurmountable. Remember Ginny, Luna and I are here for you and you and you alone are the only one who can say who you are. No one is allowed to tell you your identity.” Hermione looked down at her left forearm. That had been a hard learned lesson cut into her very flesh, indelible. She would do anything in her power to keep Simon from having to face that issue. It may have been the nicest thing Bellatrix had ever done in her life, helping Hermione learn that lesson and find her happiness. “Also, besides us, your friends are worried about you. Just before I came to look for you, Artemis stopped me in the hall and told me they were all worried about you. They told me about things I should have noticed as your big sister and I’m sorry for not paying enough attention. So, right now we need to do something to make you feel better, even if only a little, until this is all over and done with, so your friends are less worried. Okay?”

“Okay.” He looked up at her, a faint smile played across his lips.

“Now onto something more interesting, have you thought of a name, just in case the test is positive? You know Madam Pomfrey said that had to be done. I can help you if you need any.” Hermione was curious about that. Choosing a name was a pretty powerful act from everything she knew. The only people she had known who had done so had been the Marauders and Voldemort and they were all pretty impressive people. Voldemort had done terrible things but there was no denying his power. Choosing your identity like that was huge.

Simon smiled a little, looking up at her and meeting her eyes, the topic seeming to help him feel less glum, “Yeah, I have.”

“Care to share?” She nudged him as she asked, making something so serious as lighthearted as she could manage. He needed to know that it was perfectly okay to talk about this.

“Well… I thought of a lot of names before I came to this one. I never had a name I used the few times I put on my Mum’s clothes or daydreamed about this.” He blushed some, looking down at the floor before glancing back up. “Most of the names I thought about came from books, as I couldn’t really think of anything on my own. So, I thought about what I was going to do and how it was going to take all the Gryffindor courage I had to go through with it and change my life, so I thought that I should name myself after the bravest Gryffindor I know of, Lucy Pevensie. I figured if she wasn’t afraid even though she was in a new world that was so different, with fauns and talking animals, and walked right up to Aslan when she saw him, than you can’t really get more Gryffindor than that.”

Hermione just stared at Simon for a moment, her mind processing what she had just heard, and then beamed at him so much her cheeks hurt. She did enjoy that series and that had never really occurred to. She had been too focused on more practical things. “That is fabulous Simon, it really is. Lucy Granger is a wonderful name. I like it and it is as literary as mine. I really love it.”

“Do… do you think Mum and Dad will like it?” asked Simon nervously, biting his lower lip in his nervousness. She had noticed that this was something he was doing more of lately, as if it were a new habit.

“I believe they will. You know, a good middle name won’t hurt either,” teased Hermione softly.

“I was thinking about using my second choice of brave Gryffindors, Alice.” That drew even more of a smile.

“Lucy Alice Granger? Well, those names should help give you lots of courage to face this.” She hugged him and said, “Now should I send a letter to them explaining this decision of yours and arranging for them to come up this weekend so we can test you? I won’t tell them your name until then as there is no need to jinx it.” She made the offer and waited, not wanting to push. This had to be his choice even if he was young.

Simon bit his lip again and looked up at her with wide, nervous eyes. Hermione smiled comfortingly at him, in the hopes that it would help him be able to answer her. Instead of speaking, he nodded, a bit sheepish. She rolled her eyes, as this was pretty much what she had expected to happen, and said, “Very well. Now that this is decided you go let your friends know you’re okay. They were a bit scared for you. I think you can stop dwelling on this until the weekend.”

Simon got to his feet, helped Hermione up and then took off without so much as a backwards glance at his sister. Chuckling out loud at how funny Simon could be sometimes, she walked off and took the long uphill route towards her room, trying to figure out exactly what to say to her parents about the whole issue. Simon better be aware that he was going to owe her for this and looking cute was not going to cut it for payment. It took her a while to compose something that covered everything that needed to be discussed and wasn’t too bulky. The last thing she wanted to do was weigh down her owl as it flew home. This wasn’t an easy topic to cover in just a few short words.

She walked over to the Owlery Tower and convinced Perdita that heading down to her parent’s house where it was warmer was a better idea than sleeping where she was and then she needed to wait for a return letter. There was a little bit of peering at her sideways, weighing her argument before Perdita stuck her leg out for the letter. Once she was winging her way south with the explanation, Hermione headed to the Hospital Wing in order to make arrangements with Madam Pomfrey for the testing that weekend. She did not even seem surprised when Hermione informed the school nurse about who it was that needed to be tested, which was rather surprising. Madam Pomfrey just nodded, made a few notes in her planner, and that was that. Perhaps after having Harry as a patient nothing less than a Harry level emergency would rattle her.

For the remainder of the week Simon was still a bit twitchy and nervous, alternating between excitement and dread. Hermione could understand as this was a huge event and could literally change his life forever. She wanted to do something for him, something to help him relax until it was time, but there really wasn’t anything that she could do for him at the moment, except sit there and try to keep him calm. That was only working so well. As for a present if things went well, it would perhaps be better to wait until she knew what was happening.

Saturday morning, Hermione woke early and headed downstairs to the Common Room with a book in hand so she would be there when Simon came down from his dorms. When she stepped off the stairs she spotted him on the couch by the fire, sitting there with his legs pulled up, so very like the first day she had met him that it gave her a strong sense of Déjà vu. That feeling passed and worry replaced it. Simon had not been in the best of places that first day and she had been drawn to it. His position now was doing the same. Her reaction was enough to make her wonder if she too had developed a ‘saving people thing’ like Harry. She really hoped not as she did not need the borrowed grief. She walked over and sat on the couch next to him, noting that he was still awake or at least awake at the moment. “Morning Simon.”

He made a non-committal noise, not even looking up from where his head rested on his arms.

“Did you get any sleep?” She asked, using the same tone she had used on the boys for years, the slight mothering, slight scolding sound that got things across without needed to be said directly.

“Some. My mind has been too busy to sleep. It was better for a few days but with this hanging over me…” He yawned wide and rubbed his eyes. Looking up at her blearily he asked, “Is it that time?”

“Almost. We get to go have breakfast first before we need to go to the Hospital Wing to see Madam Pomfrey. It’ll be okay Simon.” She hugged him to her. “You’ll see.”

He nodded, yawned again, looking down at his rumpled state. With a frown he said, “I should go and get cleaned up.”

“That’s good. Hurry back. Ginny was getting ready when I left the room. We can all head down together once you get back.” Hermione informed him with a smile. Simon rushed up the stairs leaving her sitting in front of the fire and alone with her own thoughts.

Watching the dancing flames, she pondered things herself. Was this the right thing to do, supporting him in this? From what Madam Pomfrey said there was nothing to this, a simple test to check if his magical core was problematic or not. However the transformation, if he went through it, was supposed to be pretty intense. Given what had to occur, it would probably be painful and there was always the possibility that he wouldn’t be able to cope with the change afterwards. There were a lot of dangers to this that she hadn’t been able to let him know about. Even though Madam Pomfrey had told her all about this she was sure there were potential issues that hadn’t been covered. With a ritual so strong how could there not be? However, she didn’t see any value in scaring him before doing this, at least not any more than he already was.

Reminding herself that this procedure could make his life better was one of the few things that could help keep her relaxed about it all. Considering everything he had gone through in his short life he was totally entitled to this happiness if it could be there for him. She couldn’t even imagine the immensity of what he had endured. His life wasn’t quite as bad as Harry’s but the similarities were just painful. No, no matter her own doubts and fears she had to do what was right and best for Simon in the long run and if that was letting him become Lucy than that was what had to happen. There was no way to argue with that point. He deserved happiness and she would give it to him if she could.

As Hermione was sitting there, gazing into the fire she could hear Ginny walking down the stairs. The question of just how she looked entered her head as Ginny rest a hand on her shoulder and asked, “You okay Kitten?”

“Kind of, just, you know, today.” She shrugged, unable to better explain everything that was running through her even with her gestures. There was just so much going on and running through her mind, not just Simon but everything. It was almost overwhelming but she had gotten far better at coping. If it was this much for her she wasn’t sure how Simon was still moving around.

With a fond look, Ginny came around and kissed her on the cheek, running a hand down the back of her head. “He’ll be fine ‘mione. I know you are worried Love and you are so cute when you start mothering him. It lets me know without a shadow of a doubt that you’ll be so good at that with our own kids.”

That comment elicited a pleased smile and a blush from Hermione. Ginny’s eyes sparkled as she ran her fingers through her hair and continued, “So just try to stop fretting so much, it’ll work out, honest.”

Hermione chuckled at that and shook her head. Really? Maybe she and Simon weren’t very different after all, not if comments like that were happening. Ginny quirked an eyebrow at her reaction and asked, “What’s so funny?”

“Earlier, I said almost the same thing to Simon,” she snickered.

“Well, I have to admit you Grangers do have a tendency to get lost in your head.” Ginny grinned mischievously. “Ron did warn me.”

“Hey now!” protested Hermione, looking a touch affronted. Had Ron really warned her about that? Oh, she was going to hurt him over that. It would have been worse if it had been Harry, as he knew her better than Ginny’s brother.

“What? Am I wrong?” Ginny looked at her pointedly, almost daring her to contradict her words.

“I… I refuse to dignify that with a response,” she huffed, a touch indignant, turning to look away from her.

“That’s what I thought Kitten.” Ginny snickered and winked at Hermione before leaning in to press a kiss against her forehead. “It’ll be okay. Now are your parents going to be here for the test of after?”

“If we go to see Madam Pomfrey right after breakfast, as is the plan, then they are going to meet us there afterwards, since they can’t get here that quickly. If not, then we can all go do this at the same time. Honestly they didn’t indicate a preference one way or the other, at least for this test. It is all entirely up to Simon and we’ll do whatever makes him comfortable. They did insist on being there for anything more however,” explained Hermione, understanding her parents reasoning. If they got there and the test was negative the tone of the visit would be different from a positive. Perhaps it was better to walk in and discover things after the fact, at least with that part.

Ginny nodded. “That sounds good. Better to get that out of the way early then before there is too much time to dwell on it. He’s been overthinking it like you usually do. Luna’s meeting us downstairs?”

“That’s the plan,” confirmed Hermione, ignoring the tiny jab that had so much truth in it.

Simon walked from the stairwell to the boy’s side, his hair still a bit damp and flat against his head. He was about to say something to them when the sounds of other students moving about quieted them all. Simon looked at them a bit chagrinned and shrugged. He got hugs from both of them before the three of them headed downstairs for breakfast, chatting about inconsequential things. When they reached the Great Hall, Luna hugged Simon as well and sat down with them at the Gryffindor table, telling Simon stories of some of the creature hunts she had been on, about Newt Scamander and what an inspiration he had been in her love of magical creatures as well as some of her father’s favorite theories as to the nature of several magical creatures. The details behind _Fantastic Beasts_ were holding him enthralled. Hermione had to admit that Luna was a gifted storyteller when she put her mind to it. That kept the mood at the table light until far too soon they were leaving the Great Hall as a group and headed towards the Hospital Wing. Simon’s hand found Hermione’s and she held his tight, ignoring the fact that it was a bit sweaty. The smile he gave her was one of great relief at her presence. She squeezed his hand and smiled back. He had every right to be nervous right now.

Walking into an area Hermione had spent far too much time in for a year without Harry antics, they spotted Madam Pomfrey standing a short distance down the room near a curtained off bed. It looked like it would be nice and isolated if she had any other patients come in and interrupt what would be going on. “Ah, good… Mr. Granger. Come over here. It will be alright and this is not a very difficult test. You won’t notice a thing and indeed only need lie there. Now, you will need to disrobe and dress in the gown waiting for you behind the curtain. Leave your wand with your clothes if you would.”

Simon nodded and hesitantly walked behind the curtain. Shortly he called out in a tremulous voice, “I’m ready.”

“Good. Now Miss Granger if you could be so kind as to take his clothes and wand over there. We want to ensure that there are no energetic contaminants to interfere with the test. It needs to be his energy alone around him so the reading is the most accurate possible. Please lie down Mr. Granger.”

Ginny held Hermione’s hand as they moved behind the curtains and waited, unable to see what was going on. They could hear the soft voice of Madam Pomfrey as she cast several diagnostic spells. It was a soothing sound but their tension was really high. Luna rested a hand on Hermione’s shoulder, which helped Hermione release the tension in them. They then heard, “Very well, we are finished. Let me compile my notes and I will let you know what the results are.”

Simon clutched his knees nervously and relaxed some as Hermione sat down next to him and gave him a long, warm hug. He leaned against her as they waited, while she idly played with his longish hair, curling it around a finger and pulling it free. It did not take long for the school nurse to return with a clipboard holding her notes. She had her usual pleasant smile which did not give any hint as to which way things had fallen. “Well, I have some news. I found that you are healthy, much better than when I first scanned you when Miss Granger brought you in at the beginning of the school year. A lot of those initial issues have been dealt with and you are doing fine. The slight malnutrition issue has been corrected thankfully. Now to the part that brought you here and the one I am sure you are anxious to know about. The spell did show that your core energy is having problems consistent with changeling issues, fairly serious issues as a matter of fact. Your concerns were quite valid. We can get you started on your treatment today if that is okay with you Miss Granger? There really is no time to dawdle as magical core issues are rather serious.” She looked pointedly at Hermione when she asked that, seeing as she was his magical guardian.

Simon started crying in relief, clutching himself to her as she looked up at Madam Pomfrey and said, “I think that will be for the best however before we cast anything or give any potions can we wait for my parents to arrive. They are being escorted here and should be here shortly. Once they are here we can begin.”

“Very well, however I do believe that we should also inform the Headmistress and your Head of House about this development as there are arrangements to be made, such as changes in dorm placement and the like.”

Ginny nodded, “I’ve got this.”

She cast her patronus and a silvery otter burst from her wand, spinning some, and rushing off through a wall. Hermione and Ginny’s eyes went wide, following the figure until it was gone and then they stared at each other, stunned. Her mind racing to figure out what was going on with Ginny’s patronus Hermione curiously cast the spell to send a note to the Headmistress, letting her know her presence was requested. Her otter came forth from her wand and swam off. Given how close it had been since the other was cast, it was possible to note small differences in the two otters, so they were obviously distinct forms but this was something unexpected. Simon looked between them and asked, his voice a bit unsure, “Uhm… Ginny… isn’t your patronus a horse?”

“Yes.” Her voice was filled with disbelief, while she was still staring at the wall and then looked down at her wand like it had betrayed her or something. Luna seemed a touch amused by this and snickered slightly.

“I wonder if this is what Harry meant?” murmured Hermione partially to herself but loud enough for the others to hear her conjecture.

“What is?” Ginny clearly wanted to get some answers and turned to face Hermione, who seemed to have them.

“Harry said that from what he had learned about the Patronus charm couples, like his parents, often had one of their patronus’… change, to match the others. He said that his father’s was a stag and his mother’s became a doe the closer they got. His guess is that it had something to do with the fact that the strongest and happiest emotions the person could draw from to cast the spell were about the other. He also said that the reason that they eventually matched is that in a couple there is a balance that needed to be maintained. I know, insight about relationships from Harry.” Both girls snorted a little at that.

“There is always one member of the relationship who is the… stronger I guess is the term for it, personality and that person’s patronus seems to become to dominant form for the couple. I’m not exactly sure what constitutes stronger in this case but there you go. It’s also why the forms in a couple don’t just switch completely. A few times while the couple is getting stronger it’s expected but as they get more in tune with each other it stabilizes. It’s all about the love felt for the other person. And Professor Snape’s patronus became a doe due to his love for Harry’s mother. So I guess yours changed to match mine? Maybe? That’s all I have on that subject.” Hermione didn’t sound entirely sure and she hated that. She had meant to look into the Patronus Charm more but she had been so busy lately that she hadn’t had a chance get to the Library with time dedicated to doing so. If she had she might be able to answer with more surety. It was fairly fascinating stuff and incontrovertible proof that emotions had an effect on a person’s spellwork.

Ginny looked thoughtful and then shrugged, “I’m okay with that. It was just a shock to see it the first time. Otter or Horse, so long as the spell works I’m fine. As for the other part… well, I guess it makes sense. But that’s not important right now. You know we need to cast them together, right? At least once? Because Amy will go crazy over them if we do.”

Hermione, Luna, and Simon laughed when she said that. Hermione realized that it was so true. Amy would squeal and freak out seeing two otters like that. There might even be chasing the ghostly forms involved. This was now on her to do list. That could easily turn into a patronus worthy memory. She turned to face Simon, so she could get things back on track, “So Simon, are you okay with this, with going through all this? With changing?”

Tears were welling up in his eyes, but he looked happy, his smile strong. “You have no idea how long I have been praying for this Hermione. Years I’ve thought about this, even though my parents tried to beat it out of me any time they caught me doing anything ‘unmanly’. I… I want this more than anything. It would make everything I’ve gone through worth it. Thank you. Thank you for making this happen.”

Tears filled her eyes as it was made even plainer just how much she had changed his life, all because she had taken notice of a little boy who had reminded her a bit of Harry. Her conversation with a scared little boy changed her life as well. Life was rather funny in that way. She gave him a tender smile and said, “You are very welcome Lucy. I am positive you will make as great a little sister as you have a little brother.”

He grabbed her and started crying as she said that, overcome by her calling him by the new name for the first time, by anyone calling him by the new name. She whispered comforting words to him and held him as he let it all out, the years of fear and pain, the suffering at the hands of those who were supposed to love him. Rubbing his back, she tried to settle him as so much confined grief gushed out. Luna came over and rubbed his back as Ginny hugged Hermione. They were still like that as her parents came in a short while later with Headmistress McGonagall. Her mother hustled over to the group and joined them on the bed, hugging both of them tightly. The other two moved back away from the bed to make more room. Parent and eldest child locked eyes and with a nod Hermione answered the unspoken question. To help even more, to make things as clearer as possible to both her parents, she said, “It’s okay Lucy, Mum’s here. Everything will be alright.”

Her father started some at that pronouncement but there was no response from her mother. There was no change in her as she pet his hair and said reassuringly, “It’ll all be okay Lucy. We still love you. Nothing can change that. You are our child and that will never change.”

More tears fell and now he had shifted his grip from her and was clutching his new mother just as tight. Her father raised an eyebrow and said, “So I take it…”

Ginny stood there with Luna watching the scene, as if unsure what to do. She nodded and said, “Yes. Other than that, from what Hermione said, perfectly healthy.”

“Good. When Hermione explained that there could be… complications because of this, we were concerned. The last thing we would have wanted was for this to cause illness or something.” He moved next to Ginny and hugged her. Ginny leaned into it, appreciating the comfort.

The Headmistress had walked into Madam Pomfrey’s office once she had entered. Before they exited Professor Cottington strode in as well, her cheeks a bit rosy from perhaps hurrying to reach them. Hermione pointed to the office to inform her of where the other instructors were and got a grateful nod in return. Hermione shook her head at how good she was learning to understand her new Head of House. She was certainly different from the reserved and a touch aloof McGonagall. She was very involved and was present in the Common Room several times a week to check on everyone. The three of them walked out after a bit, Healer leading. Wasting no time, so dove right in, “I take it Hermione explained everything to you?”

“She did in a letter she sent us a few days ago,” said her father in confirmation. “It had limited detail as you can imagine but from what I gather we are at the treatment portion of things, to set Lucy to rights since her core was… damaged?”

Madam Pomfrey nodded, pleased that they understood things and smiling at the use of the new name. Hermione knew from her own research that some parents had issues with their Changeling children, at least in the short term. It made her so proud of her parents to see how they were tackling this newest challenge. “Yes. I see you have a name chosen, which makes things easier.”

Lucy chimed in, saying, “It’s Lucy Alice Granger.”

“Very good. What we do at this point is have Lucy here drink two potions, one is a pain relieving potion and one helps prepare the body for the major spell that will be cast and then two further spells will be cast, one major and one minor. There are a few other spells and potions to be given over the day to help things as well as an overnight stay. That is the initial treatment. Tomorrow, things should stabilize in her core and form so she should be able to go back to her dorm room at that time. Once that occurs she will be on a daily potion for a few months to ensure that everything takes and the body is reacting properly. Is that clear?”

Everyone nodded. The description seemed clear enough. Lucy nervously asked, “Wi… will someone explain… you know… all this to my friends? I don’t want them to find out about this the wrong way. Losing them would… hurt.”

Professor Cottington nodded and said, “I will talk to them a little later and if it is fine with Madam Pomfrey I’ll have them visit you this evening. I am sure they will want to see you after everything. This will all get worked out Lucy. I’ll make sure of that.”

The Healer nodded in confirmation. “That would be fine. Perhaps after dinner the hardest parts of the change will be over and you’ll be ready to talk to people for a little bit, well people besides your parents. Octavia, check with me before you send them over in case something has changed.”

“I can do that.” said their Head of House with a slight grin.

“Well, there is no use in waiting. If we get this started right now, you might be up for chatting with your friends later. Shall we?” She handed a potion to Lucy who glanced at Hermione, then Mr. and Mrs. Granger who all gave him encouraging looks. Once that potion was down another was passed over before Lucy’s faces at the taste faded.

The Headmistress pulled free her wand and said calmly, “Please let Lucy lie back on the bed. This is type of Transfiguration always seems easier if the person is lying back as you want the body to be still while you are preforming the spell. Once it is cast there are only a few others needed in order to make sure the new body holds, and we will see about those later. Are you ready?”

Lucy looked kind of scared and kind of excited, eyes moving from Hermione to the elder Grangers to Ginny to Luna and back. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and let it out slowly. Looking up at the Headmistress, she said, “Yes.”

“Very well.” Headmistress McGonagall moved a bit closer so she stood next to the bed. Everyone backed off to give her plenty of room. As she spoke, her wand moved in a very complex pattern over Lucy’s body, a pattern that Hermione couldn’t fully follow. The wand work was some of the most intricate Hermione had ever seen. The Scottish burr was slightly evident as the Headmistress intoned the Greek, “Só̱matos arsenikó metatropí̱ se thi̱lykó!”


	46. Chapter 45

Forty-Five

Hermione was sitting at her usual desk in the back corner of the Library after classes rereading the letter she had received that morning from Viktor. She smiled faintly, eyes lost to the past, thinking fondly of the Bulgarian Seeker who had been her first real date. He had congratulated her quite happily on her engagement to Ginny and told her of his new apartment in Sofia, at the foot of Vitosha Mountain. He said he had a great view of the city and that made him very happy, even though he was still not overly comfortable interacting with muggles that were living in the area. On the plus side, the apartment was also not terribly far from the training facility where his team trained as well as the National Stadium. That made his commutes for games a lot shorter.

She was also happy that he had found a girlfriend since they had last talked, a girl by the name of Nikolina who was a potions researcher working on her Mastery and just happened to be one of the few female graduates of Durmstrang. Apparently she had been two years ahead of him in classes and he had yearned for her. Over the summer he had lamented that he was lonely and indicated that he was interested in getting back together with her so this development was welcome. That was of course before she realized she was a lesbian which changed everything. That conversation had gone over well and he was totally amused that she had started dating a Quidditch player. He teased her over having a type. That this girl he had found, Nikolina, was smart and had brown curly hair similar to hers only made her sigh and shake her head in disbelief. Clearly Viktor had a type. No wonder he had been hitting on her exclusively back in her fourth year, she had reminded him of the girl he had been pining away for. He had been dating Nikolina by proxy.

She sat the letter down, pulling a new sheet of parchment out of her satchel, and was preparing to write back to him when she heard a loud cry that made her forget everything, “Granger! Granger, come quick!!”

The panicked voice had called out from the entrance to the library, which was sure to draw the ire of Madam Pince. Hermione bound to her feet so fast her chair toppled over with a bang. She tore off running that direction while she made sure her wand was at the ready. This was no time to worry about her studies, not during an emergency. Ahead there she noticed a Ravenclaw girl, fourth year if she could remember correctly, who spotted her and turned to start running, yelling for her to follow along. It did not take her too long to catch up as the girl was doing nothing to evade her and she had longer legs, not to mention more practice running. The years had been good to her running ability. They pulled up at an alcove a floor down where a few other Ravenclaws were looking quite upset and worried, a few of the younger students were even crying being held by others. As she was almost to them she realized that she needed to see what was going on. She yelled, “Back up!”

The reaction to her voice was immediate. People scurried back and Hermione was able to see what they were blocking, what looked like a Second year Ravenclaw boy who looked horribly abused, bound, face swollen and bruising starting to show around the eyes with a trickle of blood coming from his lip. His head was lolling to the side somewhat awkwardly and she really hoped that it was because he was unconscious. Around his neck hung a sign that said, “The Mudblood and her toadies can’t save you!” There was a stylized snake wrapped around the exclamation point which made it very clear who had done this. It took her a moment to focus past her anger in order to cast her patronus, for some reason looking at that scene made it difficult to think of a happy thought. When she finally cast it she sent it off to Madam Pomfrey to warn her in advance that she was on her way with an injured student. Hopefully he wasn’t hurt too badly but this did not look good, not even remotely. And the fact that they added the sign as a taunt to her only made her more determined to get them. And when she did….

Pointing towards one of the older Ravenclaws who was awkwardly milling about she snapped out an order, “Get Flitwick, now! We’ll be at the Hospital Wing. Go!”

Oh, she so wanted them to be dumb enough to assault her while she was taking this boy to get the help he needed. It would end fast and ugly then, definitely not in their favor by the time the whole conflict would be over, even if there were more than one of them. No, while she was sure she could do this she needed to go to the Room of Requirement and train a little, to get back into her fighting shape that she had been in thanks to last year. It had been too long since she had really fought against anyone and these poor excuses for Malfoy wannabes were asking for her best work. Narrowing her eyes as she thought, no… she would find them and she would make them pay for all they had done, just like their parents had paid for going against her and hers. She wanted to make it painfully clear to everyone why you did not do this sort of thing. This would be a reckoning the school would remember for a very long time.

Thanks to her storming through the halls focused on her destination, she reached Madam Pomfrey rather quickly, the boy trailing along behind her held by a Leviosa. She held open the door and looked in, trying to figure out exactly where to put them. The school nurse turned her head slightly to confirm it was her before she snapped out, “Put him down over there.”

Hermione related what she knew of this incident as the Healer worked quickly, casting diagnostic charms, a few counter charms for the jinxes, and healing charms before heading towards her potion cabinet much calmer than when she had started. The boy looked a little better which did make her feel better. She didn’t want to think about what might have happened if he hadn’t been found for a while. Or had he? She really had no idea how long the poor boy had been there in that corridor until he had been found. She frowned at that thought. Professor Flitwick bustled in and Hermione turned towards him, explaining what she knew of the situation. As he looked towards the bed, she noticed that this was some of the angriest that she had ever seen him. He hadn’t been quite this angry when he was fighting Dolohov and some of the other Death Eaters. His eyes darkened some and he was glaring, making it clear that he was part goblin, something that usually wasn’t this obvious. That also made her quite glad that the former Dueling Champion was not angry with her. Like this, he was a terrifying sight.

Once she had taken care of her duty as Head Girl, informing the boy’s Head of House and having made sure the boy was okay, she left to return to the Library I order to gather up her things from the table where she had left them. She had promised Lucy that they would spend some time together today and she did not want to disappoint. Her sister was still adjusting to things now that she had shifted or perhaps upgraded might be the better way of looking at it. Amy certainly was of the opinion that this was better than before. What’s more, the physical changes had been quite fascinating given that she still looked like Simon only if he had been a girl all along. She was a little bit taller, with some changes to her face that made her look closer to Amy than she had before. It was nothing specific that was majorly changed but the overall effect was rather obvious. From the last test on her core she was a bit stronger magically now that the imbalance was corrected, which made a kind of sense. Harry was a bit stronger magically now that his magic was not busy trying to contain the Horcrux in his scar. Regardless, the smile on Lucy’s face made everything worth it.

Her friends had all accepted the whole thing after having listened to Professor Cottington’s explanation and in fact had all been happy that the reason she had been down was not something like terminal illness or something. They had all come en masse to the Hospital Wing to sit with her for a while and get to know this new her, who wasn’t all that different except she had fewer walls between her and others. The guys were a bit freaked out by what had happened but that was to be expected, since in her experience guys were a bit twitchier about things, especially girly things. Now the classic divide was in full effect, the boys and girls barely interacting. It made her laugh. She was willing to bet that a few of the guys actually thought that Lucy had gotten infected by one of the girls and that was why this had happened. It would explain their hesitancy at interacting. At least from her experience that was what Ron would have gone with back in their first year.

But now she wanted to go find her sister and talk. It did not take very long to find her; between her guess and the map she was able to pinpoint her position fairly quickly. After a bit of a walk up stairs, she walked up to her sister, who was sitting in the Common Room, in one of the alcoves Hermione liked, looking out the window. Thanks to one of the spells used on her, her hair had grown out a bit more to just past shoulder length. It was really pretty and suited her face well though she was currently holding it back with a red ribbon. It amused Hermione to no end how quickly Lucy dove into things, doing her very best to fully embrace the girl that life had kept her from becoming. Wearing the girl’s school uniform didn’t seem to bother her nor did very much else as she smiled a lot more than she had before. It was lovely. It had been kind of funny helping her work out the best ways to deal with a skirt, given that she had never really worn one before, at least not longer than an hour. Nevertheless, given the pensive look on her face right now it was clear that something was on her sister’s mind. Hermione walked up to her and said softly, “Hey Lucy, how are you doing?”

Lucy started a bit, as she was still acclimating to her new name. Having spent years with one name and then switching to another, there were bound to be adjustment issues. She seemed a bit nervous when she answered, “I… I’m fine I guess?”

“Not sure?” asked Hermione, somewhat concerned about this development. Why would she be unsure about that?

Turning to look back out the window at the grey day, Lucy was probably not really seeing it as she was looking elsewhere, somewhere distant. “Not really. This is like a dream come true for me and I don’t know, I keep expecting to wake up back home, with my old parents, ready to start another day trying to avoid punishment because of my magic or my gender stuff. And then there is the fact that things with my friends have changed some and I’m not really sure where things stand anymore. I think they’re better but I’m not sure. They are all talking to me but I keep catching looks on their faces that I can’t quite figure out. Thankfully the teachers are treating me the same as before or this would be far too much for me to deal with. The biggest downside to this so far is that some kids just stare at me as though they were going to do something to me. It’s… well, that whole thing is upsetting.”

Hermione rested her hand on her sister’s knee lightly, looking at her with sympathy. Even with achieving her dream it wasn’t like everything in her life from before was wiped clean. The issues that plagued her before were still there only now she was better equipped to deal with them. At least that was how Hermione saw things and the books she had bought also made that point. “Things are still very new right now Lucy. You need to have some of the courage of your namesakes in order to make it through this in one piece, but I don’t doubt you can do this. There had to be a reason for putting you in Gryffindor and your courage to face up to this and do this is clearly a part of that. You said that this was the right thing for you to do, and I agree with you, so no doubts. In all honesty, I had my own fair share of being stared when I was younger at thanks to my friendship with Harry and some of the Pureblood bigots making issues out of nothing. My doing so well in classes also made that worse and was kind of isolating for the beginning of my first year. Lucy look if you let these other people and their dumb opinions control your life then what’s the point of having gone through this? You did this, went through all that pain to be more fully you. If they can’t accept that then they’re the ones with the problems not you. You’re just fine.”

Lucy looked back at her as she spoke and a slight smile grew on her face. It made Hermione feel better to see that. “Thanks Hermione, you always know what to say to make me feel better. You are the best big sister ever.”

Hermione gave the younger girl a hug and kissed the top of her head. Being able to help her little sister made everything worth it. “Thank you. And you may be a bit biased you know.”

“No I’m not, Ginny agrees with me,” stated Lucy succinctly as if that fact there ended the discussion.

“I’m sure she does but that doesn’t make it right you know. She also thinks Quidditch is the greatest thing ever, which is patently wrong and that Pigmy Puffs are the greatest pet ever,” countered Hermione. “She clearly has a few screws loose.”

This got Lucy giggling some which was an even better improvement over how her sister had been when she had walked up. Hermione decided to turn the conversation away from where it was and asked, “So, how are your studies going?”

“The practical work seems easier than it was which makes sense I guess if there were issues with my magical core. I am also doing a bit better study wise as I can focus a bit better for some reason. Looking back it was sort of like there was always something running in the back of my head, or making some sort of noise, that kept me from fully being able to concentrate on things or focus, like I just couldn’t really connect things in my head. That’s gone now and everything seems so much easier now without that constant background whatever,” explained Lucy, struggling to find the words there at the end. Hermione could tell that she was at a loss for words, talking around things instead of going right there.

“Well then, perhaps you should just throw yourself into your new life and enjoy the fact that nothing is holding you back anymore. You are who you were meant to be, at least this part of it. You are going to change as time goes on but as for right now the you in the mirror is the real you. As for your friends treating you different now compared to before, remember they are trying to adapt to the new you as well. You went from being their guy friend to being their roommate. That’s a big jump to make. You know the more time you spend with them letting them see this you, letting them realize that not much has actually changed, the faster that can happen,” stated Hermione with a bit of a grin, thinking all that was rather apparent, at least to her. However she was aware that what was obvious to her was not necessarily obvious to any others. Her friendship with Ron had taught her that if nothing else had. He was a great guy but seemed to miss some basic things now and again. Sadly it was part of his charm. How could anybody resist the confused puppy dog look he got every now and again?

Lucy grinned at her, seeming to cheer up a good deal as they talked. “Thank you.”

“What are sisters for?” After sharing hugs, Lucy scampered off to find the other first year girls and do who knows what or get into some sort of trouble with them. Some of those girls were troublemakers and Lucy was right in the thick of things. Maybe passing on some of the things she had learned about pranks and stuff might be helpful. She was sure that the Headmistress and Professor Cottington might be irate at such knowledge being passed on but if it helped Lucy who cared?

Hermione went up to her room and dropped her book bag off, hanging it off the back of her chair. While it was lightweight and everything thanks to the charms on it, she didn’t need to be hauling it around with her everywhere she went. Besides, it wasn’t like she was going to need it for where she was going in just a little bit anyway. She had a meeting with the Headmistress to discuss her future plans and this would be a good time to revisit her plan for catching the bullies. Those Slytherin idiots were very much on her mind right now because of the severity of this recent attack and the fact that her having to deal with that meant that she had missed Ginny before she had headed out to practice. She had been expecting her to come by the Library to see her and having to take that poor Ravenclaw to the Hospital Wing certainly threw a monkey wrench into that plan. That in and of itself required retaliation as her time with Ginny was precious to her.

Heading through the castle briskly towards the Headmistress’s office, she thought about her future plans, what did she want to do? Truth was, given how busy she had been with life and school in the past few months it had all been on the backburner, just something she knew she should consider before leaving the school. Add to that the fact that she was currently independently wealthy and it really did become a complex situation. Maybe talking to McGonagall would help her figure something out from the wide range of things that appealed to her. It certainly couldn’t hurt. Besides, the idea of getting a job held some appeal but since it wasn’t a necessity any more than perhaps she could do something fun. There were so many possible options. The stone gargoyle moved out of her way after the password and she headed upstairs.

“Come.” The familiar voice called out to her before she even reached the door. There had to be something about that office and the door that allowed the Headmaster or mistress to know when someone was there and possibly who. It certainly merited looking into but now was not the time.

Smirking at that particular train of thought, Hermione opened the door and was surprised to see that Professor Flitwick was sitting there as well. Perhaps talking about the attacks was first on the agenda? She couldn’t think of any other reason for his presence. “Good afternoon Headmistress, Professor.”

McGonagall smiled at her fondly, which helped set her at ease. Perhaps she didn’t need to be as nervous as she was. “Good afternoon Miss Granger. Thank you for coming. I hope you don’t mind that I asked Professor Flitwick here to join us as I felt that he had some input that would be pertinent to this conversation.”

“Of course. That would be perfectly fine with me.” Hermione filed that bit of information away, wondering just what exactly the part goblin professor would be adding to this conversation. Sure he had lots of skills, knowledge, and such but what did he have to help with her inability to figure out what to do?

“When we last talked I recall you said that you were still undecided as to what to sort of career to pursue in the future? Is that still the case?” asked the Headmistress in her calm voice.

Nodding in confirmation, Hermione answered, “It is. There are just so many different options that interest me in things to do that I can’t narrow it down. I used to have a very clear idea about my future, what with working for the Ministry, but now, with everything that has happened, well… things have changed. I’m not sure that particular work will hold my interest for long.”

Professor Flitwick nodded his head, “Indeed. All of us have noticed that change and have commented on that among ourselves. You have been different this year, a bit unlike how you had been before the War. Not worse mind you, just different. It has taken a little bit of getting used to but you remained an excellent student. Now, you say you are interested in many things?”

“Yes Professor. There is just so much out there, so much to learn and do that I’m not sure I can choose one at the exclusion of others. I want to do it all instead of narrow myself down with a specific job that doesn’t quite fulfill all of my needs,” explained Hermione, wanting to make sure that they understood where she was coming from. She had at least worked this part of things out herself. It was important and helped but it really got her no closer to a job idea.

The two others laughed lightly though McGonagall did laugh a touch louder and gave a pointed look at Flitwick. After shaking his head in some amusement, he asked, “What do you know of further education in the wizarding world?”

“Well, in _An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe_ it mostly dealt with the secondary schools and a few of the primary schools as well such as Charm School. It did mention a few others that were out there for furthering your education, such as W.A.D.A and Euro-Glyph but not a lot more. I am aware that there is no formal educational process after one graduates from secondary school, but rather a form of an apprenticeship system of sorts that can result in a person earning their Mastery in a given field available in most everything,” rattled off Hermione, using her recall to great effect. “The only other exception is Auror work and Healing arts, both of which have formal training for a person to go through. Any other education you gain outside of those options comes from your own studies.”

“That is true for the most part though your answer is somewhat incomplete. There is another option that is available that only a rare few take, hence why it is relatively unknown. No doubt you didn’t see a mention of it in that book as it is not exactly a formal program. You, however, are one of the few students we would even think of discussing this with given your depth and breadth of knowledge,” explained McGonagall.

“Oh?” This news really perked up Hermione’s interest in the overall discussion. Her reading had not turned up anything of that nature, certainly not anything rare, and if it were that obscure than it did make a kind of sense that she had not found mention of it in the more common books on education she had perused over the years. If she had made a more detailed study of the topic she might have found it but there had been other considerations so she had only read lightly on the subject.

“Yes, while many of the instructors here hold Mastery’s in their specific fields and a few even hold double Masteries, the Mastery process is not all there is for further education. There have been a few who have not been content with what was available and strove for something… greater,” explained McGonagall with a smile to Flitwick.

Hermione caught that particular interaction and turned to face the diminutive Professor, figuring this was indeed the reason for his presence. He had to have gone after this other option. Flitwick cleared his throat and looked her in the eye, saying, “Well, yes… seeing as you are one of the brightest witches we have ever had the pleasure of teaching at the school, certainly in our tenure at the very least, there is the route I took that might be more to your liking. Since, like me, you have a vast thirst of knowledge and wish to discover as much as you can, the pursuit of the title Doctor might be to your liking.”

Blinking a few times at the familiar term yet unfamiliar in the particular context, she asked curiously, “Doctor?”

The Headmistress joined back into the conversation, “There are very few wizards or witches whose knowledge of magic and other topics is broad enough to qualify for that course of study. Professor Flitwick here is one and Headmaster Dumbledore was another. If I remember correctly there is another currently working as an Unspeakable but that is it for Britian. It is not an easy undertaking and most people who even try for it tend to fail.”

“Well, I did want to continue my education after I graduate from here but going to school is not all I want to do. There is so many other things I want to try, so many places I want to go.” Hermione felt very odd saying that. While it was the truth it was something she may not have actually said aloud before and the words were strange in her mouth. It didn’t change their truth just her familiarity with saying them. And the notion of her wanting to do more than school was something she was still coming to grips with.

That seemed to surprise both of them. Hermione was unsure what was so startling about that but she had to concede the point that it would be unexpected. Then the two of them caught each other’s looks and snickered. Flitwick rolled his eyes as McGonagall said, “And that is admirable. Not a lot of students realize that they have a few weaknesses that need to be corrected. That was something that did have me concerned. Now, did you have any ideas of things to do besides study?”

Her mind was unfortunately blank as there were still too many options for her to sift through, she shrugged a bit hopelessly. Headmistress McGonagall nodded in understanding, saying, “I do appreciate your reticence to work in the Ministry both for your stated reason and well, my own experience working in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I grew dissatisfied with the work I was doing fairly quickly when I worked there as well as the attitudes of the other workers and because of that I left without really looking back. That was when I began my tenure teaching here, studying under Dumbledore and apprenticing to replace him as Transfiguration teacher. Needless to say that this has been a great improvement and an opportunity I was excited to take.”

The painting behind her beamed happily, clearly proud of that and given what Hermione knew of the Headmistress, Dumbledore had the right to be proud. She was her favorite teacher for several reasons and this revelation only added to things, rather than detract.

“While I learned a great deal working with Albus, my studies were so focused that I was not able to earn that title. While I had a broad range of learning I was rather focused in one area due to my interest in the field. You might enjoy that particular course of study given your interests. And as for employment, well, have you thought about teaching?” added the Headmistress, clearly having worked her way around to that point.

“I… uh… if you want a good teacher go for Harry. He is brilliant at it,” confessed Hermione, a touch embarrassed to be asked that. “And he is intending to become the DADA teacher after he has worked as an Auror for a bit.”

“While Mr. Potter will doubtless be an excellent Professor I that subject that is not the focus of our conversation. Anticipating this response from you I took the liberty of speaking to both Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley on the subject.” Hermione winced a little, her imagination coming up with all sorts of possible horror stories those two could tell about her. She had subjected them to so much over the years as she he tried to drag them along in their classes. “They both had nothing but the highest praise for your skill as a teacher, indicating that you did a good job explaining concepts they had trouble understanding. Mr. Potter said that he would have never survived without you teaching him all sorts of things over the years, not the least of which was the Accio spell and many other things as well. Mr. Weasley said he would not have made it through school without your help, which is not hard to believe. Your two best friends are positive you would make a marvelous teacher.”

There was no doubt that her face was bright red at the moment as she could feel the burn. The wood grain of the desk was rather fascinating and she did pay close attention to it rather than look up to see the look on their faces. “I… uh…”

“There is another option Miss Granger, should that not fully interest you.” said Professor Flitwick with a bit of a smile on his face. “You could always try your hand at writing. Your breadth of knowledge would certainly come in handy while you are producing books on various topics. And I am aware that you have a number of issues with the Muggle Studies textbooks. You could easily fix that problem with your knowledge of both worlds and being able to explain. And I am sure there are other subjects you would enjoy writing about and have sufficient knowledge on. Your essays are wonderful after all so it’s not like you don’t have that particular skill.”

The burn got more intense and Hermione felt like her face had a rather bad sunburn and she was perhaps sweating from the heat. She absolutely couldn’t bring herself to look at them. Her voice was rather weak as she said, “Thank you.”

“Those are merely suggestions Hermione,” said McGonagall kindly. “We are positive you will qualify for anything that is available career wise, knowing that you will get lots of NEWTs so you can simply think about what you want to do. If you want to pursue being a Doctor, simply speak with Professor Flitwick before you leave, given he knows the most on that subject.”

“Thank you. I will. Uhm… onto a different topic, I am sure you heard about the most recent escalation by the bullies?” Hermione really wanted to discuss anything else at that point in the hopes that the blood would drain from her face and the heat would leave. It was uncomfortable. Thankfully this particular topic had a lot of substance to it and should take her out of the embarrassment fairly quickly. Bullying was good topic for fixing things like that.

“I have.” McGonagall’s voice was hard when she responded to that. Hermione was sure the Headmistress was upset about all of this and wished she could do something to fix it. She was also glad that the displeasure displayed by McGonagall was not directly aimed at her.

“Thinking about it and how they are consistently evading capture, we have to start hunting them instead of relying on chance. Their attacks only occur after class hours and the variety of spells leads me to believe that it is a group of mix years from fourth to sixth, possibly seventh. Unless we go after them, apprehending them will be more a matter of being lucky enough to stumble on them in the act rather than anything else.” Needing these points laid out first before she got to her main thrust for the debate, she set the stage for her real argument.

“That makes sense, though it is an uncomfortable realization” conceded McGonagall. She raised an eyebrow and asked, “I take it you have an idea on how to achieve this?”

“It’s the same one I had before actually. We use Lucy to draw them out,” stated Hermione, awaiting the uproar.

Both adults seemed upset by this and started protesting. It made sense for them to uncomfortable with this, she was as well. Hermione held up her hands trying to stop them so she could explain. They did and she received a nod from the Headmistress to continue. She let out the breath she had been holding out, having hoped that they would let her continue to present her case. “Lucy is the best bait available for going after these idiots because she embodies a number of things that we know they are against. She is a Firstie, a Muggleborn, and a Changeling and there is no other student who will present that wide a target profile. To them she is nothing but a walking offense and they would target her anyway. All of their targets, from what I have seen, have been Muggleborn or Half-bloods so that might work. This way we can protect her.”

“I see your point Hermione but the danger to Lucy because of this is very great. They could seriously hurt her as evident by their recent action,” stated the Headmistress.

“I am well aware of that Headmistress and it doesn’t please me. The last thing I would want is for my sister to get hurt even remotely. My current plan involves borrowing Harry’s Invisibility Cloak if possible and then follow along with Lucy as she wanders about. This gets me right there, in the thick of things before they are able to scatter. Even with those I cannot capture I’ll be able to remember their faces. She may get stunned or petrified due to that but I am sure that I can stop the attack before they get too far. Experience from the War gives me plenty of experience in fighting.” The plan was audacious and she hadn’t cleared the Cloak part with Harry nor had she spoken to Lucy fully about being bait. However, since this was the part where she was trying to get initial permission for the plan from the people who could stop it before it started, it was the best she could think of at the given moment.

Flitwick rubbed his chin as he contemplated her plan. “That’s actually not a half bad plan, Minerva.”

The Headmistress rolled her eyes and said, snarkily, “Easy there Filius, your Gryffindor is showing.”

“Pffftt…” He waved off her comment with a simple hand gesture. “I still think in the end the Hat sorted me correctly. Though I do think you would have looked lovely in the blue and bronze.”

“Filius,” chided McGonagall. “Let’s leave off with who was better sorted. Now is not the time to work over that old bone as we have more important things to cover. So Hermione that is your plan, to be your sister’s only support against an unknown number of attackers?”

Hermione looked between the two of them curiously. The two of them had faced the same indecision by the Sorting Hat that she had, between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor? That… that explained a lot about both of them actually now that she thought about it. “If I can manage to have Luna and Ginny nearby as support that would be for the best. I know both of them would be very good at dealing with this. Cameron as well, seeing as they are his Housemates that we will be apprehending and I am sure he wants to lay into them for what they have been doing.”

“And how can you manage that?” asked the Headmistress.

“Well a tracking charm would work if placed on Lucy, or one the coins I made for Dumbledore’s Army, or a number of other ways if needed. There are several Charms I can think of that could be used for this occasion quite easily. Layering them would perhaps work best in order to have the best coverage. It is not an insurmountable issue.” Hermione so did not want to reveal the presence of the map. As a tool, it was too useful to her for both pranking purposes as well as for managing to patrol the castle without having to go anywhere so she could study. She still caught more people evading curfew than anyone else but there was no surprise given that she knew where they all were the whole time. That did give her a rather distinct advantage.

“You seem to have answers for everything,” observed McGonagall, looking at her over her glasses.

“I like to be through,” stated Hermione dryly.

“No doubt that is the reason for the success in all your endeavors.” The Headmistress’ tone was equally as dry which drew a slight smirk from Hermione.

“I like to think so. It’s certainly why we had plenty of food and supplies when the three of us had to run from the Weasleys after the wedding,” stated Hermione, sure that would end the back and forth. “I like to be prepared.”

“And there is no doubt that went well, given that we are all still here and V-Vol-Voldemort is not.” McGonagall appeared to be irritated with the fact that she was having trouble saying that name. “Very well, you have a tentative okay for this plan. Proceed with caution. Before you follow through with it I will want to speak with all the parties involved to make sure everyone is on the same page. If we do this I want to make sure we have everything covered.”

Hermione grinned on the inside. This was better than she thought she was going to get from the Headmistress. She just might be able to pull this off and catch those prats. Now all she needed was for Harry to allow her to borrow one of the Hallows and she would be good to go. “Understood.”


	47. Chapter 47

Forty-Six

Hermione lay there in bed, still fairly asleep and just looking over at Ginny who was still sleeping. The redhead was snoring softly, her hair tousled, and a slight trail of drool trickling down from the corner of her mouth yet despite that Hermione was certain she had never seen anything more beautiful. This was a great thing to wake up to. It wasn’t just her girl’s face, but the utter peacefulness of her sleep that made things even better, filled her with calm, contentment. And she was blessed enough to be able to wake up to this sight for the rest of her life. That was the best thing ever and filled her with love. She pulled her left hand free from under the covers to look at her ring, the stone sparkling slightly in the morning light. Just seeing the engagement ring sitting there on her left hand, just thinking about what it meant, all the love and devotion implied made her heart swell in pleasure. The simple ring even made up for the scar on her arm, providing an extreme contrast. That bit of beauty sitting there on her hand overran the ugliness that Bellatrix had carved into her, as if she were some sort of tree or something.

Closing her eyes to help her center herself, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling her heart rate slow again. She was not going to let that dead bitch ruin her morning; she simply wouldn’t let that happen. It was too perfect a morning for that. The woman and memories of her still haunted Hermione but the frequency was far below what it had been at the start of summer last year when that witch was omnipresent in her thoughts. It did make her unhappy that Bellatrix had attained a perverse type of immortality thanks to the word cut into her. So long as she lived she would never be able to forget that bitch and what she had done to her. Every day, every single day that psycho was in her thoughts, each and every time she caught sight of her forearm and that damnable scar. Sure she could have hidden it under a glamor but what was the point? The way she saw it, she could either hide it away, letting Bellatrix make her feel shame for how she had been marred or she could ignore it and move on, not letting that scar define her life. She had chosen the more difficult path however it was so hard to get past this.

Answering the insistent call of nature, Hermione slid from the bed and crept to the bathroom, the soft pad of her footfalls nearly silent. Her thoughts were still running around that topic while she finished her business and then brushed her teeth. As the child of two dentists it was a practice that she had never forgotten. Heading back into the bedroom she was careful to remain quiet while she got dressed, glad that there were silencing charms on the drawers to make sure they didn’t squeak as they were either opened or closed. Once dressed, she carried her books in hand to her desk and took a seat. There was reading she needed to get done and there might be less of a chance to wake Ginny if she were downstairs while she was doing it. Gathering her stuff, she wrote a quick note to let her fiancée know where she would be, kissed Ginny on the forehead, and left the room.

There was an alcove she liked to sit in on early mornings to read. This was some place she liked to read ever since first year when she had discovered it. The view was wonderful and it was quite comfortable, with a fairly gentle light that did not hurt her eyes reflecting off the page. Getting settled, she pulled one of her new DADA books from her bag, one of the ones that Harry had recommended to her over the holidays. The last several days, she had been focusing more on that topic in preparation for her hunt of the Slytherin bullies. Her training sessions in the Room of Requirement the last few days had also gotten her back into fighting trim, her casting speed for stunners and the like was much faster, half-forgotten shortcuts coming back with practice. She had also gotten more used to dodging and the like. At this point she was about as ready as she could get without engaging in actual combat again. There were a few more spells that she was trying to pick up; as it was always better to have the tool you needed instead of constantly using a hammer to fix things. She liked having a full tool kit at her disposal.

No, she was prepared for this and she would show them. Moreover Merlin help them if they hurt Lucy at all because she would really go after them with a vengeance in that case. They really did not need her to be any more irritated with them than she was already. So long as nothing she did to them was permanent she should be able to do as she liked with them, given the odds that she would be facing. That did give her a little smile, anticipating the harm she would cause them. They would think thrice about ever doing something like that again. Between daydreams of smacking them down or going back to reading her DADA book it was not long before Ginny came downstairs, moving her book aside to make it easier for her to lean in and kiss her.

“Mmmmm… morning love,” purred Hermione, very pleased with this distraction. She closed her book and concentrated on the second kiss.

“Hey there Kitten, good morning. Shall we head down to breakfast? I saw Lucy while I was coming downstairs and she said she would be heading down to breakfast with her friends. So, ready to go?” Ginny asked, offering her a hand to make it easier for her to get out of the alcove.

“Sure.” She took the hand and stood, giving her a kiss on the cheek. As they walked, Hermione slid the book into her bag.

“So do you think Harry will let you borrow the Cloak?” Ginny was curious about that. Hermione had to admit she was as well. This was especially worrisome since it was a family heirloom that made the whole thing a potentially touchy situation. And it wasn’t like she would really be that upset with him if he told her no.

“I hope so. Any other invisibility cloak or spell I could use wouldn’t be as good, as complete, opening up the possibility that my plan would fail before it really began. Also, I don’t want Lucy to get hurt because I failed her.” Hermione said softly, her heart aching at the thought of her sister being wounded like that one Ravenclaw had been. That boy had been in the Hospital Wing for a few days to heal from all that had been done to him. She felt like she had failed him to a degree because she had not caught them earlier.

“I suppose Luna and I can try to get some Demiguise cloaks or maybe just delusion ourselves while we follow behind you both.” offered Ginny. “That way we can be near at hand when everything goes down.”

“That would be okay. If we don’t have to move much early on that should work. So long as that can be managed I would love for you guys to at least be close. Having support near at hand is always best. Let’s figure out the best way to do that once we can confirm the Cloak. Otherwise we have to come up with some other plan to best go after them.”

There were people already seated at some of the tables in the Great Hall by the time they got down there, but being a weekend, they were mostly scattered about the room in small clusters. The two girls went to their usual spot towards the end of the Gryffindor table and sat across from each other. Hermione did like looking into the eyes of her girlfriend while she ate or anything else for that matter. It made a lot of things better. However, today Hermione’s first order of business was a mug of tea or perhaps two, so she had a better chance of waking up fully, since even with the reading she was still a touch sleepy. That would be a good start.

As she and Ginny ate, they heard the noise at the tables grow and change. That drew their attention and they looked into the Great Hall, seeing nothing of note so they turned back towards the front doors where they were able to see the source disturbance sauntering their way. Harry grinned and waved at them with Luna walking alongside him smiling quite happily. Hermione’s eyes went wide in surprise seeing him and she got up, running towards them yelling, “Harry!”

Harry’s grin got broader and they two hugged tightly, with him actually lifting her off her feet. He set her down and said, “Hey Hermione. I missed you.”

“What are you doing here?” She really was confused as to his presence. She hadn’t expected anything like this when she had asked for his Cloak.

“Well, you said you needed some help from me so I had to come up to see you. Besides I get to see and spend some time with my girlfriend as well, so there is a bonus to it as well.” He chuckled and hugged Luna to him. She kissed him on the cheek.

“Well, it does make sense that you would rather see her than me.” Hermione’s eyes twinkled mischievously.

“Of course it does. I mean, kissing you would just be wrong.” Harry’s tone was light and playful.

Before Hermione could retort, Luna chimed in helpfully, with a big grin on her face, “You don’t know what you’re missing then. She’s a great kisser.”

They both gaped at her in disbelief and protested loudly, “Luna!”

Ginny guffawed, and tried to hold back her laughter with her hands over her mouth, her crinkled eyes leaking tears as her body trembled. Hermione sent a glare her fiancée’s way, though there was little heat in it, while Luna went around the table to sit next to the redhead so she could look at her boyfriend. Harry shook his head, amused at the way things were playing out, and took a seat next to his sister in all but blood, reaching for some rashers of bacon with a smirk on his face. Hermione rolled her eyes at this very typical behavior and sat back down, knowing that it was useless to fight. “So Harry, just wondering, did you bring what I asked?”

He cut his eyes over to her and said, “What do you think? You said it was important so of course I brought it. I also brought a couple of others that I got from the Auror corps as I guessed that you wouldn’t want to do this without having these two there to watch your back and to provide extra coverage. You can’t keep them forever mind you and I will need them back, preferably unharmed. Between using these and the map it should be a breeze, right? So hopefully this issue of yours can get resolved fairly quickly.”

“I’m hoping so. Everything is planned out as best as I can make it so now all I can do is try to make this work,” said Hermione. “I just want to make sure we can do this in a way that ensures that no one gets hurt.”

He nodded and was about to answer her when a voice cried out in surprise from the entrance to the Great Hall, “Harry!”

The four of them all turned and spotted Lucy running towards them, eyes wide. She threw her arms open and Harry caught her as she leapt into his arms, which made him fall back into Hermione. They hugged each other tightly as she squealed quite excitedly. Hermione eyed him, with one brow raised, given that he had learned about all of this through letters. Just how would he react? Harry set her back down and said quite normally and with his usual warmth, “Hi Lucy.”

“What are you doing here?” Her actions were so much easier to interpret as a crush now that the cues were more traditional and Lucy wasn’t trying to hold back nearly as much. Luna could not stop her luminescent beaming at the whole thing. Hermione had to admit that it was adorable.

“Your big sister needed something from me so I came up to see everyone,” said Harry, with a grin. He sounded so casual about everything despite this being the first time he had seen her post transformation. From the way he was talking you would think nothing had changed. Given the additional gleam in Luna’s eyes, someone was going to be rewarded and kinkily for that. “Besides, I heard you were a bit under the weather so wanted to come check on you. Are you doing okay?”

Apparently the fact that he might come up because she might need something never occurred to Lucy. She blinked a few times and then gushed, “Cool! You’re going to be here all day?”

“Well, certainly for part of it.” Harry smirked a little and then turned to look at Hermione. “I mean, I brought stuff for you and Luna so I figure we can just hang out and enjoy ourselves, maybe in the RoR so we don’t have to deal with anybody else.”

The girls all looked at each other, taking a silent consensus, and nodded. Luna answered for them, saying, “That sounds like fun Harry. Besides it’s too cold outside to do anything else unless we were hunting Grinklepinks. I suppose we could make snow angels but then we would be all wet and cold and then we would have to get naked and you wouldn’t be allowed to hang out with us at that point due to school rules so perhaps simply avoiding that complication altogether would be for the best.”

Harry just nodded in understanding and his smile grew larger. “Well, if we did go hunting, I can keep you warm. As for the other… you have a point.”

Ginny and Hermione locked eyes for a moment in commiseration then rolled their eyes, groaning a little. Ginny gave him this disappointed look and said, “Really Harry? Really? How cheesy was that?”

“What? I’ve been working on this for a while. I know I’m smooth.” protested Harry, looking slightly affronted at her doubting him.

Ginny scoffed a little at that. “You? Smooth? You have got to be kidding me Harry. I mean sure you are more open and playful then when we were together, but smooth? Not even remotely. You’re no Ron or even Percy, I’ll give you that but you’re also no Bill. Smooth? Are you serious?”

“Nope, he’s been gone for a while, I’m Harry.” Harry winked at them, giving them a big grin that would have looked in place on Sirius’s face.

Hermione and Ginny both gaped at the black haired young man in some disbelief. Had he really just said that? Hermione blinked a few times, trying to process his words and confirm what she had heard, and then tentatively asked, “You… just made a joke about…”

Harry nodded looking a touch thoughtful as he replied, “Yeah, he’s gone and it sucks more than you know but after seeing him and my parents before confronting Voldemort in May I’ve been a lot better about it all. Knowing he’s okay and with my parents helps. And besides, knowing that the Marauders are back together as well, while sad, does help. That there is something after this makes me more able to accept his loss. It gives me hope and eases the pain.”

Hermione leaned over and hugged him tight, having an idea of how important a statement this was. Harry letting go of some of that pain and loss was a thing to celebrate as it was a sure sign that he was getting better as he had never really let anything like that go before. “You are an amazing young man Harry James Potter.”

There was a slight blush growing on his cheeks and he looked down at the table. She knew he had a difficult time accepting praise thanks to the Dursleys but that didn’t make him any less worthy. She tightened her hug again, letting him know he had her support. “Thanks ‘mione. I’ve gotten a lot better about a bunch of things thanks to you, Luna and Teddy.” Harry looked off, a faint smile on his face as he thought about his godson. “He is so sweet that he really makes me feel better, even if he is in the same boat I was only he had a lot less time with his parents than I had. At least he has people to love him and remind him every day about how amazing his parents were and how much they loved him. Andromeda talks about Remus and Tonks every day, even if he is too young to even understand what she is saying.”

Luna beamed at her boyfriend, her eyes promising something… special when she got him alone. “I think Edward is quite lucky to have the family he has now. Being surrounded by that much love is a good thing and will make dealing with the truth that much easier as he gets older.”

While Lucy looked a bit confused at this turn in conversation, the three older ones nodded in understanding. Hermione realized that Luna was exactly right; having all that love and caring would make what had happened to his parents easier to bear. Dumbledore was correct about the power of love and its ability to make things better, stronger. It was a healing force and she knew it had made her torture and PTSD easier to deal with because she had so much love around her what with Ginny, her parents and even Ron and Harry. Harry was probably finding out the very same thing, though the two of them did not have the same amount of time together that she and Ginny had. She really did not want to think about where she would be right now if she hadn’t had the love of her fiancée to rely on as she healed. Given the depths of her pain those prospects looked rather bleak. Would she have gotten this far alone this fast? It was a sobering thought.

Headmistress McGonagall walked up to the group of them and said in a very pleased voice, “Mr. Potter, it is good to see you once again in these halls.”

He turned to face her and his smile was full of happiness. There was no doubt how he felt about her. After all, he had Crucioed someone because they had spit on her so there was little doubt just how much he cared about their former Head of House, despite all the times they had butted heads. “Thank you Headmistress. It is nice to see the castle again.”

“It would be nice to have a chat with you at some point today if you have the time. I wouldn’t want to distract you from your time with your friends and girlfriend but if you had the time to chat I would appreciate it.” Headmistress McGonagall smiled impishly at him as she said that.

“Certainly Headmistress McGonagall.” Harry’s grin was huge.

As the Headmistress walked off, Harry seemed to recall something as he turned to the others and said, “Oh, did I tell you I got a letter from Narcissa Malfoy?”

The trio looked surprised and Lucy looked confused. She really was not up on all the details of current Wizarding history and this dealt with all of that so there was little wonder she was a bit lost. Hermione wasn’t sure what to say but Ginny clearly had her feathers somewhat ruffled when she asked, “You did? The gall of some people. What did she want?”

He chuckled a little, apparently amused by the vehemence in her response, and said, “Believe it or not she wanted to thank me yet again for speaking at their trials and supporting the decision not to send them to Azkaban. All they had to do was pay a huge fine and that was it. Well, her husband is no longer allowed to mingle with members of the Government in anyway or donate money except to official charities or fundraisers but otherwise that was it. However, she was unsure if she should contact me or not, seeing as there still is bad blood between her son, husband and I. Apparently those two are still a bit shell shocked over the way things turned out and are having trouble coping. Anyway, she and I met for lunch last week and I suggested to her that Senior Healer Bainsley might be of some assistance. I mean, if he was able to help us he might be able to help them. I mean, it couldn’t hurt, right?”

More blinking occurred and Hermione said cautiously, “So let me get this straight, you two had a nice chat through letters and in person? You and Narcissa Malfoy.”

With a nod he said, “She is still trying to come to grips with how things have changed herself but if I were you I would expect something fairly soon from her apologizing about the Manor. We talked about that as well over lunch. She deeply regrets everything.”

Hermione felt a twinge of fear inside and her left forearm ached with remembered pain. Could she do it? Could she accept an apology from her? Andromeda had apologized for her dead sister and that had helped some even though she looked very much like Bellatrix, but could she listen to Narcissa and not want to hex her within an inch of someone else’s life? She was unsure about what she would do and that made her stomach churn in its displeasure. “I… see. I’m not sure how that will work but if you were able to come to terms with her I should at least be willing to give it a try. She said something to me at the award ceremony but I am still unsure how to take it. If you think I should at least listen to her I will be willing to give her a chance.”

Harry gripped her shoulder and tightened his grip in understanding. There was something in his eyes, something familiar and haunted that spoke directly to her. If he thought it was okay then maybe she could take that chance. Harry gave her a supportive look, “I know what you mean ‘mione. We are going to meet again at the Cauldron in a few days as she wants to speak with me some more. I can talk to her for you then, maybe set something up if you wish?”

Ginny reached across the table and took her hand, giving it a slight squeeze. She said nothing but was just there, present and giving her unequivocal support. Hermione favored her with a brief smile before saying, “Thank you Harry. That might be nice.”

“So, where do you want to go and talk? I want to hear about this plan of yours before I hand over the Cloak.” Harry seemed completely calm and relaxed. She had to admit that it was a valid question and he had a lot of experience in the field. “Maybe I can add something to what you have.”

“Let’s go to the Room of Requirement like you suggested. That should work out nicely and will assure that we have complete privacy while we talk things over. Besides, when we’re done Harry and I can stay there and… chat,” said Luna with her blissful grin, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

While Harry’s face reddened the others snickered some, Ginny nudging Luna. Hermione cut her eyes over to her brother and said, “Sure. That sounds good to me. Besides, I’m sure that Harry loves to… chat.”

His face grew even redder and he looked down at the table as he grumbled, “I hate you.”

Hermione leaned in and kissed him on the side of his head. “Love you too.”

Finishing up their meal, they then headed up to the seventh floor where Luna opened up the Room of Requirement with a dreamy look on her face. They sat around in a near replica of the Gryffindor Common room only with comfier cushions talking for a while, going over the plan, with Harry adding in his two cents, as well as just chatting, catching up with each other’s lives. Eventually Ginny, Lucy, and Hermione left the room, leaving the two lovebirds to their privacy cuddling on the couch in front of the fireplace. Hermione was so very happy for Harry because Luna and he really did mesh in a way that surprised her. She was so glad to see that their relationship was growing in leaps and bounds. The look in their eyes as they stared at each other reminded her a bit of her and Ginny and Harry really had earned that kind of love. He deserved every happiness that he could get his hands on and if she could help him find it she would do her best to make it happen. When the three of them got back to the actual Common Room, Hermione ran up to her room in order to stash the Cloak there. The last thing she wanted was for something to happen to it while she was carrying it around with her. The Hallows did deserve a modicum of respect after all.

Now that she had the one thing in hand which she really needed from Harry as well as some excellent advice on her plans everything was ready to go. She had great hopes that it would work out as there was nothing further that could be done in the planning stages to make things go better. Having done all the prep work she could it was time to move to the next stage of the plan. A few days later, after talking about their roles in this and bringing the Head Boy up to speed in things, they all spoke with the Headmistress, making sure she understood the plan from their end. Harry had given her two extra cloaks, which were far less effective when compared to the Hallow but they certainly had their uses in terms of being able to tail someone surreptitiously. Cameron had been very surprised to hear what the plan was and agreed that it was not a bad one over all. He was very happy to take part in things as he was tired of these prats ruining his Houses second chance by beating up younger students who did not have the skills needed to fend them off. He would be disillusioned and following along with the other two as support. No one was really pleased with the fact that Lucy was to be used as bait but no one could come up with a better plan, since brewing Polyjuice took too long and there was no telling just how long the hunt would go on. McGonagall gave her final approval on the plan and they were planning on starting the hunt on the next day.

After classes everything started and Hermione followed Lucy as she went about her afternoon, taking some time apart from her friends and moving through the castle on her own, not really paying attention. It was clear from watching her that she was nervous but Hermione could tell that the fact that she was right there to protect her seemed to help her nerves. That first day nothing happened, no one came near, except a few of the friends she had in other Houses that were not troubled about her change. Day two had similar results and they called it a day after a few hours, fading off to meet up in a safe place. Hermione sat in the library afterwards frowning at her textbook, it didn’t make any sense that they hadn’t gone after her. It just didn’t make any sense. She was the best possible bait to draw them out and she was right in the open, ready to be attacked, why weren’t they going after Lucy?

Thanks to this frustration it made it tricky for her to focus on her schoolwork. She kept looking at her notes and they just stared back her, almost mysterious. Why would she want to focus on her homework when there were questions of actual relevance to be answered. She wanted to pound her head on the table to see if that would give her any relief despite experience telling her that it wouldn’t help. What was she going to do? This was the best plan she had to catch those bastards and even Harry was certain it should work. Growling to herself she stood and headed to the stacks to find another text that might help her with her Magical Theory essay. She still had another foot to foot and a half to go on it for her to be content with her work and another reference or two might just be what she needed to finish this up. When she came back from the stacks holding the book that she had been looking for, she noticed that there was a folded note sitting on her table, folded in a way she hadn’t seen since her days in elementary school. She looked around quickly to see if she could spot who had left it but there was no sign of anybody about.

Unfolding it quickly, she noted that there was only one word written on it, tomorrow. She looked around again and frowned even more when she still couldn’t spot anyone who might have done this. Could she trust this? It seemed to imply that Lucy would be attacked tomorrow while they walked around but where had this come from? Given that there had been no other hints as to who was responsible for any of this how could she disregard it? She analyzed the writing, anything she could to try to make sense of it and nothing leapt out at her. Given the slight shakiness of it and the fact that the writing looked unskilled had this come from Mallory? She was the only Muggleborn in Slytherin and the writing showed a degree of unfamiliarity with the quill and then there was the way the note had been folded up into a little packet, not something she had seen from any of the kids from Wizarding families. In fact it was something she had not seen at all since she had come to Hogwarts. But that still made no sense.

The next day, primed and ready for anything thanks to the note, Hermione was wandering around with her wand out and ready underneath the Cloak. Lucy was humming to herself, swinging her book bag as she walked, doing her best to seem nonchalant. Not wanting to take a chance, Hermione hadn’t told anyone else about the note, unsure about its veracity. Why let anyone else get wound up over this whole possibility when she was unsure if it were true. Her nerves ramped up when they moved into an area where there were no other students about, Lucy’s heels clicking loudly on the stone. At that point she was very glad that she had the foresight to ensure that her feet had been silenced to ensure that her footsteps made no noise. The last thing she wanted was her presence to be given away by something that small and controllable. She also ensured that she had no perfume on and wearing non-school clothes so she had a better range of motion. In fact she was dressed very similarly to how she had been through the entirety of the Horcrux hunt. This was as ready as she could get for this sort of thing.

Suddenly Lucy was flung into the wall, slamming in shoulder first, making her sister yelp in surprise. Hermione froze briefly and crouched as she scanned the area while another spell hit Lucy. This time she had heard the person casting, a binding hex this time, and turned. The disillusionment ended on eight upper year Slytherins who had been stationed against the walls, both boys and girls as another spell, a blinding hex this time, hit Lucy right in the head. She recognized one of them as a Sixth year Prefect which only got her blood boiling even more than it already was. That explained a great deal about why they hadn’t gotten caught and only served to increase her anger. Using a disillusion spell would certainly make hiding and escaping easier. Closing her eyes, aware that she had to make sure that she kept the bullies bottled up even though it meant that Lucy would be open for attack, since they had three possible directions to flee in at the moment. Grumbling about that fact she silently cast barriers over the entrances, wanting to make sure there was to be no escaping her. Meanwhile, Lucy slammed into the wall again, crying as stinging hexes slammed into her, her hands flailing as she was unable to see where the attack had come from.

The Prefect, whose name eluded her at the moment, walked up and slapped Lucy quite hard, snapping her head to the side. The girl leaned down growled at her sister, “Filthy Mudblood. It’s not enough you defile these sacred halls with your presence but you also add your ridiculous perversion to the mix. You are a disgrace to the wizarding world.”

A few more hexes hit Lucy, making her scream in pain, her head snapping back into the wall, dazing her. That was sure to raise a pretty serious bump. Hermione snarled to herself at that, these idiots had hurt her sister, more than she had anticipated they might and closing off the escape routes quietly and without notice had taken longer than she had expected. No, she was done. This would not stand. She would not let them hurt her any more. As another bully came running up, preparing to kick Lucy, Hermione snapped off a petrification spell, making them fall to the floor, their arms and legs snapping together. She threw the cloak from herself as she launched a stunner off at the Prefect. The girl was barely able to summon a shield, the spell dissipating on it, shrieking a bit in surprise.

The bullies yelped in surprise and fear, a few of them even bolting for the corridors, only to slam into the barriers she had constructed. Hermione meanwhile was busy weaving through a few of the spells spat at her, appalled at the quality of spell training that these students had. The difference between her training and their lack of it was quite apparent as she moved with confidence and surety. Harry’s work with her and their reliance on the DADA professors was so evident. “Avis! Oppugno!”

The flock of birds she had summoned launched themselves at the bullies, going for their faces to blind and distract, buying her more freedom of movement. Hermione hit one of the preoccupied Slytherins with the Bat-Bogey hex as she came out of a roll, several stunners passing harmlessly through where she had been. She spun, ignoring the screams that had wrought, as a blasting hex headed for her, barely passing by her to tear up a chunk of the wall, shrapnel flying everywhere. Focusing on the caster she yelled, “Titillando!”

That caster fell over laughing, dropping his wand in the process. She had a grim smile of satisfaction at that however apparently she held still for too long as she heard a shouted out, “Mimblewimble!”

Hermione could feel the spell hit her and begin to affect her, inhibiting her ability to speak. She silently cast the countercurse before it could do much, getting even angrier. They had dared to attack and injure her. True it hadn’t hurt but they had hit her. It could have been worse. The fear fueled the adrenalin pushing her faster. She dodged another stunner and cast out, “Cantus!”

The Slytherin who had hit her with the tongue-tying curse broke out into song, looking quite upset over this, especially as the girl’s voice was particularly horrid. Hermione was getting ready to hit another when the wall next to Lucy exploded from another blasting curse that had missed her, cutting her sister a few times with the shrapnel. A few larger pieces even slammed into her face, gashing her face in a few places on her forehead and cheek. Her sister screamed in fear, cringing and curling in on herself as best she could despite the spell bindings. Hermione understood why and couldn’t blame her. She pointed her wand at her sister and took the time to cast, “Protego Totalum!”

The air around her sister shimmered, glistening slightly before it faded as the shield took hold. That should protect her while this battle was ongoing. The problem was that she had been still for a bit too long again as she was hit with both a tripping hex and a stinging hex. Wincing, she rolled awkwardly, her ankle hurting, having twisted it slightly as the first hex had hit her. Given her luck she had probably sprained it, making her ability to dodge in the rest of this fight problematic. She needed to end this and quickly if she were to survive. With a mighty downwards slash she called out, “Flippendo Tria!”

The mini-tornado of the overpowered knockback curse caught two of the bullies, whirling them into the air before slamming them back into a wall, where they crumpled to the floor, barely moaning. There were still two of the bullies up and fighting after that and she refocused her attacks on them. Before anything could connect with them due to dodging and good use of Protego the Cantus spell she had cast earlier ended, making it three on one. Narrowing her eyes as she moved as quickly as her injured ankle would allow, primarily dodging a cutting curse while a stunner and a stinging hex sped by, she pointed her want right at one of them as she called out “Langlock!”

One of them dropped their wand as they were clawing at her mouth trying to free her tongue from the roof of his mouth where she had stuck it. That should help keep the odds where she wanted them. Before she was able to exploit things, she was hit by a knockback curse and slammed into a wall painfully. Groaning, feeling her breathing grow pained, a flush of warmth and nausea roll through her from her back, she rolled to the side, ignoring the screaming of her body as another cutting curse slammed into the wall where she had been, tearing the stone. “Impedimenta!”

That spell left it one on one, her against the Prefect. The girl was at least smart enough to avoid banter, paying attention more to her evading the array of spells being cast against her. Clearly she had paid a bit more attention in her DADA classes than some of the others and Hermione honestly had no idea what had been covered the year prior which might have been helpful, as she knew the quality of training had been spotty at best. The two girls traded a few spells, blocking them with a Protego or dodging them entirely. Hermione fought against the urge to vomit as her back was screaming at her. Something was seriously wrong but she didn’t have the liberty to deal with it right then. Suddenly the girl stabbed at her with her wand, roaring angrily, “Crucio!”

The pain the erupted in her body was intense, her nerves an agony from the intense wildfire that ignited there, her skin itching, making her with she could peel it off. Hermione fell to the floor, writhing some under the force of the pain a scream torn from her. The only thing that helped her hold on to her beech wand was the fact that this girl was no Bellatrix and clearly did not have the raw hate or experience to cast the Unforgivable at its fullest potential. The spell cut off fairly quickly and fighting against the squawk of her muscles, Hermione quickly cast, “Everte Statum!”

The girl was thrown against a wall but was surprisingly not out. Too tired to be impressed with that, Hermione pulled herself to her feet with some effort as she cast absently, “Expelliarmus!”

She let the wand fly past her to clatter on the floor as she ran up to the girl who had regained her feet a bit steadier than she was. Screaming in rage Hermione punched the sixth year Prefect in the face with all of her might, not caring about the damage it might cause herself. The girl spun to the floor, her lip split open and swelling quickly, blood sliding down her chin in a crimson rivulet. Hermione regarded at them all with disgust quite evident, the lot of them lying on the floor about her and she simply lost it, yelling, “You idiots honestly think you can fight me? Me? I fought the best that Voldemort had to throw at me and I’m still here. I fought toe to toe against Bellatrix fucking Lestrange and who’s still standing? Me!” Hermione pulled the torn and dirty left sleeve up, exposing her scar so that they all could see it. The word Mudblood was plainly evident against her pale flesh. “You see this, this, Bellatrix carved this into my bloody arm, so she could make sure I knew my place like a good little dog. But guess what, she’s dead and I’m not. You know what that means you little idiots? It means that a bloody, filthy mudblood like me, the thing you damn pureblood morons despise the most, and are so bloody afraid of, is better and stronger than the lot of you.”

Her eyes narrowed, her hair wild, having come free of how she had tried to secure it. She was pacing back and forth, all but stalking them, ignoring the twinges of pain flaring from her ankle and back as she growled at them, a harsh animalistic sound. She wasn’t done hurting them. She wanted more and as they were this wasn’t a challenge. No, she needed more. With a rough gesture of her wand, she spat, “Finite Incantatum! Pick up you wands. Go ahead. Do it. Give it another shot. There’s eight of you and one of me. You won’t be surprised this time and I’m right here, tired and injured. Surely you can get it right this time. Do it! Do it!!”

The group of them lay there, staring up at her wide eyed, the fear they felt clear on their faces. Snarling as she wanted nothing more than to cut into them, she spat bloody spittle onto the Prefect as she glowered at her, her own body trembling in rage. She so wanted to crucio the bitch for having done this to her, to Lucy. Her eyes bored into the other girl’s and the Prefect flinched away, unable to hold her gaze for even a moment. “That’s what I thought. Bloody cowards, the lot of you, just like every other Death Eater out there. Pathetic, the lot of them. Pathetic, the lot of you.”

“Hermione!” Ginny, Luna, and Cameron sprinted up to them, wands in hand. The bullies slumped to the floor, throwing their wands towards the Head Girl in surrender, drained. Cameron growled when he spotted one of his Prefects there on the floor with these idiots. Ginny reached her and pulled Hermione into her arms. Hermione yelped slightly in pain and then was against her for a few seconds before she slumped slightly and started crying, unable the hold the focus her anger had given her. She was just so tired and sore. It hurt everywhere.

Cameron quickly bound the eight members of his House with spells, black ropes wrapping the others securely. He had already begun reading them the riot act, informing them of just how badly they had screwed up and just what sorts of examples that would be made of them. The DMLE was mentioned more than once. Expulsion was going to be one of the nicer things to occur. Luna helped Lucy to her feet and she promptly ran over and hugged her sister tightly. Hermione shook, tears and a cry of agony wrenched from her body as another wave of Crucio pain rolled through her, mingling with the physical pain to make her need to swallow her bile. When that urge faded she looked down at her sister fondly and hugged her weakly. Her voice was soft when she said, “It’ll be alright now Lucy. It’s all over.”

Another upsurge of pain tore through her nerves, seeming to grow in strength and Hermione shrieked, pulled under by the undertow of memories from the last time that spell had been used on her. Darkness enveloped her and she happily welcomed it with open arms. 


	48. Chapter 48

Forty-Seven

“Ah… look at little Muddy there, on the ground where her kind belongs. You know… you’ll make a good pet once you’ve been properly trained.” Bellatrix sneered down at her, something dangerous and a little perverted in her eyes that drove a cold spike to her core.

Hermione looked up at her, her face burning with tears, jaws uncomfortable from the screaming she had been doing, how wide her mouth had stretched, how tight her mouth had clenched. Everything ached, her whole body protested, and muscles twitched as they tried to deal with the curse energy, moving in individual packets without synchronicity. She panted, desperate for air to fill her burning lungs as she glared at Voldemort’s twisted second in command with pure loathing. She hated this woman like she hated nothing in this world. “Bitch.”

The boot to her side hurt and she heard and felt a wet snapping sound. The flare of pain and nausea, the wash of heat that covered her, the rise of sweat was nothing compared to the Crucios she had just been under but that didn’t truly diminish the event. That spell seemed to enhance the sensation of other pains afterwards, making you feel even the simple aches of the body with terrible intensity if it was held on you long enough. Bellatrix cooed at her, “Awww… that’s so cute that you think you have an option. You are mine Muddy, to do with what I want and you always will be. You’re my pet do with and torment as I will.”

“No! No! I’m not yours. I’ll never be yours!” She screamed again just as the Cruciatus tore her apart again lighting everything up again in an aurora of torment. Her mind was lost as her body was consumed by that nerve rending force that rent everything in her over and over again.

Coming out of it she heard that damnable humming. She seemed to enjoy humming as she tortured as she had done more and more of it as this had gone on. That thought itself churned her stomach as she realized that the crazed witch was getting off on this. In a singsong voice, Bellatrix responded to her, “Oh I have no doubt whatsoever you will willingly give yourself to me Muddy.”

“Never!” Hermione worked really hard to push herself up onto an elbow, just a little lift off the floor in order to glare more effectively against the insane Death Eater. It was all the fight she had left to give but she wasn’t just going to give in. That simply wasn’t in her.

Bellatrix laughed again, clearly filled with glee at the continued struggle and kicked her in the side down by her hip. Crowing excitedly, she taunted, “I know something you don’t. I know something you don’t.”

Her ribs screamed in agony as a second kick landed just off where Bellatrix had kicked her earlier, moving the snapped rib around dangerously. She could feel the bone shift slightly in her ribcage and the hot flush increased. With some effort she swallowed back her gorge, desperate to avoid showing anymore weakness before the madwoman. Her body was not working quite right and it took more effort to do things than it should so she could only hope and pray she could manage that. Bellatrix leaned down, getting right in her face so she could smell her fetid breath before she whispered, “I think you just might change your mind when you see the surprise I have for you Muddy.”

When she stood back upright and moved away from Hermione, she gestured off to where she couldn’t see and her younger sisters and Ginny where shoved forward, bound and gagged, dread in their eyes. Tears were flowing down Amy’s dirty face and she looked sick with fear. Lucy appeared to be on the edge of panic, her school uniform torn in several places. Ginny’s face had several bruises and a cut lip as she had clearly fought back before they had got her. Bellatrix gave her a few moments to take that all in before she stepped in the way briefly, to draw attention back to her. “Now, as you can see I have a few things of yours. I’ll give you a choice Muddy, you can give yourself to me forever or you can watch these… ‘people’ die. I heard they mean something to you.”

Hermione was in an absolute panic, her heart racing just hearing this. What the hell was she supposed to do over this? Fear and desperation was in all their wide eyes as they silently begged her for assistance and she had no idea what to do, her mind coming up blank. Giving in to Bellatrix in that way was simply not an option but then she would be condemning them to death. What the hell could she do? She didn’t want to fail them but to aid them meant to fail herself. Humming that damnable ditty, the wild haired witch Crucioed the three of them, the gags muffling their screaming as they fell to the floor writhing. It did not make the sound any less horrific. “Tick tock. Tick tock Muddy.”

Hermione’s mind spun, desperate to think of something, some way to get free so she could save them, some way to find an advantage somewhere, anywhere. Her eyes were moving back and forth, trying to find a solution, she would be happy to take most anything. The other witch cackled excitedly as she watched the younger girl’s internal struggle, “Too long!”

Bellatrix hit Amy with a Cruciatus and held it there. Hermione was horrified at the sight of her youngest sister thrashing about in her bindings, trying to drag herself forward but her body did not obey her, so all she could do was scream out at the top of her lungs, “NO!”

When the spell was lifted, her adorable six year old sister Amy lay there unmoving, bloody drool coming from her nose and the corner of her mouth, past the gag, eyes rolled up in her head, only the sclera showing. Hermione tried to swallow her bile, but it was a difficult task as it rose up to burn her throat. The horror of the scene tore at her worse than the spell had. With great effort she pulled her eyes away from her littlest sister and stared icily at the witch with all the hate she could muster. Bellatrix tittered in pleasure as she looked over her work and then when she turned back to face Hermione she purred out, “My my, whoever is going to be next?”

“Stop it, stop please,” begged Hermione. She knew there was no mercy in the woman but she couldn’t help it. Just the sight of Amy made her shudder and want to say or do anything to save what she could, debase herself if she had to.

“Then come over here and give yourself to me Muddy,” said Bellatrix with amused patience. “You know you want to. It’s what you have always been meant for.”

Hermione wavered ever so slightly, not wanting anyone else to die because of her but was almost powerless to move, her mouth and tongue bound almost as if by spell. Her eyes widened in realization a moment before.

“Tsk tsk.” Bellatrix danced over behind Lucy and slit her throat with casual efficiency. “Too slow.”

Hermione shrieked, unable to tear her eyes away from the sight of the life fading from Lucy’s eyes as blood poured forth. Her sister dropped to her knees and then fell backwards, blood pooling around her. Tears blurred her vision and she wept, the madwoman had complete control of this situation and there was nothing she could do about it. She was utterly powerless, unable to affect anything. She tried to blink the wash of tears away so she would be able to see her love, next on the chopping block.

Bellatrix sidled up alongside her fiancée, rubbing her horrid body against the redhead, to finally lick her cheek, her tongue flat as it slid up leaving a trail of saliva. Ginny shuddered in revulsion, trying to shy away but was held in place by a hand. Bellatrix turned to look right at Hermione and smirked, “Blood traitor tastes good Muddy. I bet you are good at eating out your betters. Huh Muddy? Do you love that taste? Do you? Do you beg for it? To clean out that traitorous snatch? Speak Muddy. Speak!”

Hermione shuddered and before she could say anything she was hit with another Cruciatus. It roiled through her body, a burning oil that left its taint everywhere, nerves slick with fiery pain. “What was that Muddy? I can’t hear you!”

Breathing was difficult, her body protesting any movement as it only aggravated the throbbing from her nerves magnifying every little thing into a cacophony of misery. She flopped on the ground, back arched like a bow, trying to get away from it, rib shifting dangerously adding new complexity to the tune. It took her a moment to realize that the curse had stopped, that the pain had gone away as the aftereffects still tormented her. The acidic taste of vomit was in her mouth and she swallowed it down bitterly. “Admit it Muddy, you belong to me. You are mine and will always belong to me to do with as I will.”

Ginny was looking scared, her eyes filled with love but also defiant enough to remind her that there were lots of reasons she had to keep fighting, despite the cost. That reminder of the love that was there let her find herself again, letting her draw up strength from a deep wellspring within, giving her just enough strength to spit out a rebellious, “No, you insane bitch! Kill me if you want but I will never be yours!”

“Now, was that polite? Were you ever taught manners, Muddy?” Bellatrix walked around Ginny, her wand tip tracing along her body and said, “Avada Kadavra.”

The flash of green made Hermione’s stomach drop. With a boot to the ass, Bellatrix shoved her fiancée’s dead body onto her, crushing the air from her before casting another Cruciatus. Hermione screamed and screamed until there was no air in her lungs, the dead weight of Ginny’s body making it more difficult to pull any back in, the immersive physical pain sadly a mercy after all she had suffered, despite going on and on and on.

HGHGHGHGHG

Hermione screamed herself awake, thrashing herself into a tangle, panicking more at her inability to move. Hands struggle to hold her down and even though it burned to breathe, every movement an agony, she fought back, trying to free herself from this. “NO! GINNY!!”

“I’m right here love. It’s okay. I’m okay. I’m right here. Please love, wake up. I’m okay.” Ginny’s voice sounded full of sorrow and desperation as she pleaded with her, “Come on baby, it’s okay. Please. I have you.”

Hermione had difficulty opening her eyes as they were a bit gummy from her crying and through haze of her tears saw Ginny’s face above her, showing strain from trying to keep her still. With a sob of deliverance, she threw her arms around the woman she had feared never seeing again and began bawling even harder, “You’re alive. You’re alive. You’re alive.”

Ginny was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her, running a hand down her back, trying to soothe her. Hermione could only shake and cry in her love’s arms, only peripherally aware that she was in the Hospital Wing. The nightmare had been so real, with so many things that made it feel like she had really been there, that Bellatrix had really been taunting her. “Shhh Kitten, it’s okay. I have you. Everything’s good. I’m still alive. It’s okay.”

Burrowing deeper into those strong arms, Hermione clutched her fiancée tightly. Her breath jagged as the terror from the nightmare still had her in its hold. She just let herself drown in the sensual presence of Ginny, the reality of the smell of her fiancée’s skin and hair thanks to the soaps she used interacting with her own body odor, the tactile truth of the muscle’s play in her back and of the arms clasped around her, hands digging into the fabric of Ginny’s shirt, the soft gentle slide of one hand trailing down the back of her head in a comforting chill like water, the contrast of Ginny’s voice that was lower than hers as she tried to soothe her, the faint sounds of the rest of the room echoing about giving that sense of space. She kissed Ginny on her neck, burying her face there, the slightly salty taste of her flesh helping drive home just how real she was, how concrete this was, how this was not simply a dream, that Ginny was truly not dead, that Amy and Lucy were not dead as well. It had all been a nightmare, nothing but a nightmare, just another bloody nightmare to come out of the events of Malfoy Manor. A wave of grief hit her as images from the nightmare played through her mind again. She sobbed out, “Oh Merlin Vixy, it was horrible.”

Ginny turned her head slightly and kissed what part of Hermione’s head she had access to. Leaving her head against the curly hair, Ginny murmured, “Kitten, it’s okay, you don’t have to say anything unless you want to. You’re safe.”

Hermione moved her head deeper into the crease of Ginny’s shoulder, trying to forget the damn song the witch had been humming by trying to ground herself in the here and now but it was so difficult. The tune which still sort of echoed in her own head sounded so close to Pop Goes The Weasel but just off enough to make her crazy all on its own. She wasn’t sure if she could handle hearing that song anymore thanks to that bitch, perverting anything around her that she could, even a harmless childhood ditty. But how had the Wizarding world even gotten ahold of the song?

That helped distract her from the nightmare, the intellectual musing, and slowly the intensity of it all faded, her grip on Ginny loosened, and her breathing became a lot easier as the tight band around her chest relaxed. It felt remarkably like a too tight bra being taken off despite nothing of the sort actually happening, given that she was wearing pajamas at the moment. Her crying turned softer, less desperate, tears merely leaking more than anything else. She sniffled, trying to clear her nose. She hated how her nose insisted on getting in on the act when she really truly bawled like she had just done. She had been so terrified, so relieved how could she not? Yet as if crying that heavily wasn’t indignity enough that the nose had to join in on the fun to share its joy? What a fright she must be at the moment.

Ginny leaned back, wiped some tears from her face with a thumb and gazed into her eyes with such adoration that the reason for the tears changed. Hermione was so overwhelmed by the wave of warm emotion that hit her from that sight. The redhead leaned forward, uncaring of the state of her face and kissed her softly, their lips pressed together just right, not too much, not too light. It was a perfect kiss for the moment. That made her heart swell as well. Hand cupping the side of her face, Ginny asked, “Hey now, are you feeling better love.”

Hermione’s tears continued to slide down her face as she nodded in answer, not trusting her voice at the moment as she was sure it would break. If she spoke she just might bawl some more as her emotions were all over the place. This, this was exactly what she had needed, this right here. The love from Ginny, the way she looked at her as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world despite what she was sure was a pale, blotchy, snot covered face with horrendously disheveled hair. Being here in Ginny’s arms was the antithesis of everything Bellatrix stood for. This was her healing, this more than potions or any other magic. Despite being in the Hospital Wing, it was in Ginny’s arms where she found her true solace and balm from the madness of Bellatrix. With just a smile from her it was so easy for her to forget the abject hatred carved into her arm, a bloody testament to darker times. No, Dumbledore had been in the right about the power of Love. No wonder the Unspeakables had a room where they studied it. She tried to quiet her mind so she could just lose herself in this moment.

That quiet reminded her of the other urgency she had, the other worry that had been niggling there at the back of her mind, finally able to be heard once thee roaring from the nightmare had faded. Her eyes snapped open and she pulled back, looking about the room franticly. “Lucy! Oh God Ginny… how is she?”

“She’s fine Hermione. Madam Pomfrey had her out of here rather quickly actually as it didn’t take her long to patch her up. Your shield kept them from being able to do worse things to her with their spells so she was nice and safe as opposed to you. She is rather shaken up however, especially because of what happened to you but otherwise okay. Luna has taken her to get some food as she hasn’t left your bedside, sitting vigil here with me. We all missed dinner and when her stomach started growling we both insisted she go get something. She really loves you ‘mione.”

“I love her too.” She sighed in relief. Lucy was fine. Ginny was fine. That meant everybody was fine. She relaxed a bit more, letting all the lingering tension relax, and fell into a lassitude, drained from it all.

“Now take these potions. I promised Madam Pomfrey that I would take care of you and so long as I do a good job I get to stay. So drink up and you get a treat. Topsy.” Ginny handed her a bottle of potion that she was unfamiliar with. She furrowed his brows in consternation.

While Ginny spoke to House Elf in hushed tones, Hermione drank something that tasted a little like how a troll smelled. This was not something she was particularly pleased to know firsthand and now taste first hand. She gagged a few times as she choked it down, the noxious taste bringing tears to her eyes, and took the vial that Ginny slapped into her palm, downing it in one go. It was her calming draught, with a touch of pain relief potion mixed in, based on the taste that managed somehow to cut through Eau d’Troll. She shuddered a few times, making all sorts of faces, as none of those potions were particularly good tasting and mixed horribly somewhat akin to Neville’s potion making skills, faces she was sure that were adding to her beauteous visage.

When she was a bit more done with wishing she could shave her tongue and perhaps oblivate that taste from her memory, she opened her eyes and there was Ginny holding out flannel for her to wipe her face with as well as a mug of hot chocolate, the extra rich kind if her sense of smell hadn’t been burned out by those potions. Her voice was drenched with gratitude as she said, “Bless you!”

“Apparently, chocolate is on the approved list of stimulants you can have after a Cruciatus attack. From what Madam Pomfrey said there is something in it that helps you feel better, I guess,” commented Ginny, turning to her own mug and taking in a deep sniff.

Thinking back to several articles she had read a few summers ago, Hermione casually stated as she wiped her face clean, “Oh that’s probably the anandamide in it which promotes a feeling of wellbeing in people as well as theobromine and phenylethylamine which help release the hormone oxytocin which has often been called the love hormone by some. That is responsible for many things such as bonding, sexual attraction and arousal, empathy and memory. Chocolate has other properties as well that could help, like lowering your blood pressure and the like, but those are the ones that most immediately spring to mind.”

“What the…?” Ginny just stared at her, lowering her mug slightly, a slight chocolate mustache on her upper lip, utterly confused at the information Hermione had just spouted.

“What? Oh, yeah, that has to do with chemistry and biochemistry as well as human phisiology. Muggle science tries to figure out the whys of everything out there and does a very good job of it in my opinion, despite having missed magic. Anyway, after my third year, when Remus was handing out chocolate like it was the greatest thing ever, I had to try and figure out why he would be doing that. Just the fact that it would help wasn’t enough for me. I had to know why and I knew the wizarding world was not really good with giving me the whys in a lot of cases. Given the feelings that the Dementors make you experience and the things that these chemical compounds make you feel, it suddenly made perfect sense why someone would be given chocolate even if you did not know the science behind it. The chocolate chemically counteracts the sensations that you experience from the Dementors,” explained Hermione with a slight smile, taking another drink, relishing the creamy taste. “It really is quite simple.”

Ginny blinked at her a few times and shook her head. She started chuckling which turned into a short bark of laughter. Looking up at Hermione with pure adoration, Ginny stated, “I honestly did not think it was possible for me to love you more. I am so looking forward to marrying you Hermione Jean Granger, you simply have no idea.”

“What?” Now it was Hermione’s turn to be confused. She had clearly lost the thread somewhere along the line. “What did I do?”

Wiping the start of a tear from the corner of her eye, Ginny said, “You go from a horrific nightmare to feeling a little better to worrying over Lucy to lecturing me on muggle science and all of this after you have recovered from being injured while tromping all over eight bullies who are so afraid of you right now that I think they are ready to cry. You are, without a doubt, the perfect woman.”

Hermione blushed and hid in her mug of cocoa, too embarrassed by that comment to look up. She certainly didn’t see herself as perfect, not even close. She saw all her flaws and mistakes, places where she should have chosen differently, answers she could have made better, times where she had not quite measured up to her own standard. No, she wasn’t perfect and that Ginny thought that boggled her mind. Maybe it was love but she herself could see all the flaws in Ginny so could she doubt that Ginny could be any less aware of her weaknesses, less discerning? She knew she had a streak inside that was willing to do anything to succeed, to overcome any obstacle, to be ruthless at need. Certainly Rita Skeeter and Marietta Edgecombe discovered that the hard way. In a way it was one of the things about Bellatrix that scared her the most, that a brilliant, talented witch had turned so completely to evil, used all that she was for Voldemort just as she had done the same for Harry. They were reflections of the other just as Harry was one for Voldemort and Hermione knew was but a bad turn from becoming her. That realization had chilled her to the core, made her physically ill, making her shower and try to scrub that taint from herself for hours. No one in Australia had known who she was so there was no one to stop her as she did this. Being introspective right after such a terrible war might not have been the best plan but could she really stop her own mind?

She trembled slightly, looking down at her left forearm and the reminder carved in there of who she was, realizing that she wasn’t that bitch, she was still herself, still the woman beloved of an amazingly talented and beautiful redheaded pure blooded witch who thought she was worth marrying. They were deeply in love, looking forward to spending a life together making each other happy, something she was sure that Bellatrix had never had in her marriage. Love. There it was again, the biggest difference between the two of them. No, regardless of what happened she would never become that woman thanks to the love she had in her life. No matter what curses may fall she was blessed.

Ginny gave her a moment and when Hermione lowered her mug, a smile of ease on her face, she looked at her with some concern and then asked, “So what happened? I mean it all went to hell so fast that we couldn’t figure it out and Lucy couldn’t tell us anything.”

Suppressing a shudder while she was thinking about the attack, Hermione shared a faint smile with her, saying, “There were too many exits for me to block quickly at their ambush site and they started attacking Lucy really fast. When she yelped I… I just lost it. After the fear hit, this… rage filled me and I knew I had to save Lucy and make those bastards pay for what they had done to her and all their other victims. I had an initial urge to cast a sectumsempra on some of them. When I realized that I knew I couldn’t just let loose on them. It took everything I had to keep it non-lethal. You have no idea how difficult it was. I so wanted to go through the worst spells I knew, even the variations of simple spells that can be devastating when cast on people that I learned from Remus’s notes. The only way I could manage to hold back enough was to keep my spells on the simple side for the most part. And even then I slipped a few times, overpowering some. You didn’t see her Gin, she was terrified, even knowing I was there to protect her.”

Closing her eyes, Hermione swallowed, trying to hold back the wave of rage and weakness and disgust and fear that was churning inside her, brought back up as if she were right back there again, in that place, wand in hand. The calming draught was really helping, taking the edge off the whole thing just enough that it wasn’t the major battle she thought it might have been otherwise to stay calm. She opened her eyes and looked up as Ginny took her hand gently. There was a look of understanding there the made her feel a different kind of connection than she had earlier. “I know. I get it. The idea of… of losing her… yeah… we’ve both been there.”

Ginny smiled weakly, as a few tears of her own slipped loose. Hermione knew that she was thinking about Fred and some of the others who had not made it, but also about that terrible moment, when they stood there, stunned, looking across the courtyard at the preternaturally still body in Hagrid’s arms, trying to deny it was Harry lying there dead and then almost fainting when he moved, rolling free. Yeah, they both were a little too familiar with the idea of loss.

A voice clearing softly from the end of the bed made both their heads turn. Madam Pomfrey was standing there with a concerned smile on her face and a covered tray in her hands, watching them. “And how are you feeling?”

“Terrible. I am still having some of the aftershocks like I had before, with my nerves firing making me hurt, but they are relatively minor compared to when this first happened to me,” admitted Hermione, blushing slightly as she had not mentioned any of that to her fiancée.

Ginny looked a touch surprised by that admission but Madam Pomfrey just nodded as if expecting that while she set the tray down on the end table. “That’s to be expected actually. You haven’t fully healed from your earlier Cruciatus exposure and then to be re-exposed like that. Apparently that was Miss Rafferty’s first time casting that particular spell in something other than class so that was certainly a help.”

“That makes sense. I did think it was fairly weak overall. Though I must say, I am not happy that I can tell a strong Cruciatus from a weak one, but what can you do?” said Hermione humorlessly. She had honestly been hit by the spell often enough that she really could tell a difference. Even Bellatrix had varied the strength of the spell just for her own amusement, knowing that it would affect the amount of pain it would cause. And she knew Harry had been hit by more people than she had, having even more experience with different casters overall. She couldn’t exactly recall who had been hit more if you added in all the times Bellatrix had hit her. Why couldn’t she have had a normal life?

“Well, let me know if you feel worse or the symptoms you are experiencing are aggravated,” asked School Nurse.

“Certainly Madam Pomfrey and thank you for taking care of me all these years, most especially this last one. I really have seen this room far too often.” Hermione knew she didn’t have to thank the woman but she did it anyway. It was only polite.

“It was my pleasure. Now here is this vial of Dreamless Sleep potion for you. No arguments young lady. You will be taking this before bed and that’s that.” She gave her a stern glance that didn’t have much force behind it as she pulled the vial free from her apron. “Given what you have experienced and that you already had a nightmare I figured that you will doubtful have another nightmare tonight.”

Hermione smiled as she gave in without fighting. Given everything Madam Pomfrey had done over the years she really did not want to make her job any harder than necessary and it wasn’t like she could argue with her point. “Yes ma’am.”

The Healer drew forth her wand and then silently cast an expanding charm on the bed and blankets, whisking over an extra pillow as well. “Knowing how your fiancée helps your sleep, she is of course welcome to join you tonight Miss Granger. You could use that comfort even if you are under potion induced sleep to get the best quality sleep you can manage. I feel that it would help you actually rest better.”

“Thank you Madam Pomfrey. This really means a lot to me,” said Hermione deeply grateful for this kindness. After the day she had had she needed this a lot. Being able to cuddle up with her girl right now would make all the difference in the world as she had noted earlier.

“You’ve had a rough day. Don’t stay up too long dear. You have a tray with your dinner off to the side waiting for you. Eat and don’t stay up late.” She handed the potion to Ginny with another smile and walked back to her office without another glance backwards, a flick of her wand moving a few privacy screens into place.

“Well, how about that? I think I will enjoy this. Do you think you could eat or did you need to sleep again?” asked Ginny. “I can have Topsy get my pajamas so that won’t be a problem.”

Hermione thought about it and realized that even though she had not yawned that she really had no energy left in her to do anything all that much. Sleep was exactly what she needed. Right after the events of Malfoy Manor she had slept a great deal so perhaps resting the same as she had would be just what her body needed to heal fully this time as well. “I think I could in a bit, but let’s cuddle some first before I eat. Then I’ll take the potion. I know I won’t fall asleep on my own yet so the potion will be helpful. I just need you to hold me for right now.”

Ginny lay down on the bed, resting her head on the summoned pillow and held her arm out. “Well, come on then love. You really need this and I am sure you will appreciate that meal soon. Get in her Kitten.”

HGHGHGHGHG

Hermione sat in the Headmistress’s office listening to the discussion about what was going to happen to the bullies. She and the Head Boy were present as was the Head of Slytherin House which made a degree of sense. No other Heads of House were there, which she could understand to a degree given that she was sure that Professor Flitwick might come down on them like the wrath of God which could be problematic. This mix of people was perhaps for the best in the long run. Ginny and Luna had been talked to earlier to get their side of the events, as had Lucy and she knew the Bullies had been interrogated to figure out everything they had been up to. No this was solely the punishment phase of this event. Apparently a lot had happened while she had been unconscious. She was trying to keep focus as she was tired, still feeling the effects of her injuries.

“So it is clear that there is no other option save for Miss Rafferty getting turned over to the DMLE,” commented Professor Slughorn. “Quite a shame that, really. She did seem to have a slight talent Astronomy from what I heard and could have made something of herself in that field. From a good family as well.”

“Now Horace, you can’t control the bad choices that students make while they are here. If Albus, who taught here for the majority of his life and tried to help many a child make better choices, couldn’t manage that than how can we expect anyone to manage that?” commented the Headmistress. Hermione noticed that the painting was nodding in agreement. “No, she did this to herself.”

Cameron shifted uncomfortably in his seat during this. Hermione cut her eyes over to him, wondering what he had to add to this discussion. He looked particularly vexed at where things didn’t seem to be going, which interested her. His voice held tightly controlled anger, “Please, please tell me that the others are going to have something real done to them, that they aren’t going to just walk away from this? Detention, no matter how vile you make it, is not going to dissuade these… fools from what they have done or from doing it again. No, we need to shut this down, and do it so hard that nobody ever thinks of doing this again, at least no one in school right now. Pranking is one thing, I mean, hell the Weasleys never got nearly that mean on their worst day against Slytherin as these eight got in their short time this year. And the pranks this year… they’ve been almost fun. I’ve heard a lot of people talk about how it’s made them think more about the other Houses since they have had to deal with looking like that. No, these fools need to be made an example of to stop any further outbreak of this kind of violence.”

Hermione raised an eyebrow at all that. Was he really more upset about this whole situation than she was? She had been hurt by this and she wasn’t nearly as pissed off as he was. But he did have a very valid point. If something major were not done to the others then people would think things would be like it was with Dumbledore, that people could do horrible things to other students and simply get a slap on the wrist. No, it had to be memorable and drive the idea of the changes to their world home more than anything else. She had a few creative ideas running around her head but they were a touch out of the box; maybe she could share one of those and see what the others thought of them? She interjected, “I have a potential idea. I’ve had some time to think about it as you know. I agree with Cameron that something like Detention would not serve in this case. We need something more severe.”

“Surely you are not suggesting expulsion?” blurted out a rather shocked McGonagall. She seemed affronted that Hermione might consider such an action for any reason.

“No, not at all. I think they all need to understand the severity of their actions, what this is leading them towards, and that the world does not let them play those games anymore but it needs to be tempered with mercy because expulsion simply sends them out to become problems for the DMLE. However, it also has to be something memorable, so that the whole school will know about it so that will work as a deterrent for every student in every House.” Everyone was looking at her with interest now. This had peaked their interest that was for sure. Now if only she could finish making the pitch. She had thought about this problem for a while and had wondered if this notion would serve in this particular setting. She had noted the problems with the punishment system in the wizarding world and she had tried to find solutions, at least in her head and this was the best se had come up with, at least for juvenile offences. “What I propose is that when Miss Rafferty is collected by the Aurors let the rest of them be collected as well. And it needs to be done publically, in the Great Hall would be best, so they can’t hide behind anonymity. That was another reason people got away with things, not everyone knew about it. They can all be processed at DMLE Headquarters and go through that but instead of going to Azkaban after a trial like Miss Rafferty, perhaps they can be guests of the Ministry for two weeks, two and a half in the holding cells. But it needs to be done without them knowing how long they are going to be held for. Then when their time is up, they are returned here as secretly as possible or publically, I’m not sure about that part. Then it can be explained to them that next time they do anything serious it is expulsion and their being turned over to the DMLE permanently. You make it clear that they are one simply misdeed from being gone forever. The idea is to frighten them into acting better.”

They were all staring at her trying to process this whole idea she had mentioned when Cameron started laughing. His eyes were bright with glee, “That is perfect, absolutely perfect. It is so Slytherin that it fits. What do you think? I fully support this idea. I would do more to them to really punish them but this has a certain poetic justice to it, given how Slytherin it is.”

The Headmistress looked over at their Head of House who seemed thoughtful. It was a look that was far less calculating than she usually saw from him so it struck her as intriguing. It made her reappraise the man just a bit, not a lot as she still did not enjoy the self-serving aims of the Slug Club. Perhaps Professor Slughorn was not exactly the man she thought he was from everything she had seen. A reappraisal might be in order. “Yes well, I do see what you mean Mr. Boyle. There is a certain… fit to Miss Granger’s suggestion of punishments. I dare say that they would return from that experience changed young men and women. And it is early enough in this part of the school year for the effect of this on their end of year grades or even OWLs in some cases to not be that detrimental. And even if there is, it’s not as if they haven’t brought that on themselves.”

“Very well. I will get a hold of the DMLE and inform them of this whole situation and ask them for their assistance in this matter. If they can do this then the matter is resolved. If not, then we must revisit the matter to find another option,” said McGonagall, after pondering the notion for a short while.

Hermione was actually quite pleased by this resolution. Part of her wanted a more Code of Hammurabi style of justice to be meted out on them but this was a far more right act. She was sure both Ginny and Lucy would agree with what had been done once she had shared the details with them. It was creative, original, and should drive the idiocy of their folly into their heads making them reappraise their lives. It also allowed her to get a modicum of vengeance on the lot of them. Two to two and a half weeks in jail was a hell of a lot more severe than anything Dumbledore had ever done to anyone but these bastards had hurt people and hurt Lucy. They would think thrice before trying this nonsense again. Now her only hope was that her parents wouldn’t kill her when she informed them about this whole situation and her part in it. She wondered if Ginny would be sad being widowed before they were married? 


	49. Chapter 49

Forty-Eight

“Kitten, please… you need to put the books down. You have been studying almost nonstop for the last couple of days, so much so that I’ve barely seen you. You need to relax,” pleaded Ginny.

Hermione looked up from the book she was scanning and frowned at her. Was it really that difficult to understand why she was studying? Studying allowed her to keep her mind off things. She was still troubled by the fact that the anniversary of her torture had affected her powerfully. Three days of nightmares. And the fact that the anniversary of the battle was approaching made her want to dive even deeper into her books. “Gin, we only have a bit over a month and a half left before we take our NEWTs. That’s barely any time at all. I want to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything or to shore up anything I am weak in. There is just so much material to cover that it takes time to properly go over it all. They want us to know everything Ginny and I am trying to get it all in my head. I can’t slack off or I’ll fail.”

Ginny rolled her brown eyes and shook her head, her red hair moving back and forth. After taking a pause where she may have counted or something she said with some degree of exasperation, “I know the NEWTs are important ‘mione but you waited another half month before you did this with the OWLs. I know you want to do your best but remember you don’t have to prove yourself to anyone. You are amazing and wonderful all on your own. You don’t have to prove you are the best, everyone already knows you are. Can’t you just wait a little bit longer before you do this?”

“Ginevra, I am trying to work,” growled Hermione, trying to return her focus on her notes. She raised her hand and rubbed at the tension between her eyes. There was safety in her notes, they kept her from thinking of other things and she appreciated that.

“There are so many Wrackspurts around you right now that I might need to get Luna in here to take care of you,” complained Ginny, giving her a rather pointed look. “I’m not sure I would be sufficient to cure you.”

Snapping her head up and over, Hermione glared at her fiancée. She searched the redhead’s eyes as she said with some irritation, “You wouldn’t dare.”

Ginny smirked evilly at her, turned her head slightly and called out, “Luna! Can I get your help?”

“Fine! Fine! What do you want?” asked Hermione heatedly, trying to keep herself from being snogged by the blond. There was no doubt in her mind that the blond would do as asked, happily so.

Luna came around the stacks with a few books in her hands, the veritable image of inquisitive innocence and asked, “Did you need my help Ginny?”

“No!” yelped out Hermione, half rising from her chair in her rush to stop this.

“Miss Granger!” chided Miss Pince.

Hermione dropped her head onto the table with a thunk, sinking into her seat. She just couldn’t win with these two could she? What could she do but relent in this case? “Sorry Miss Pince.”

“Sorry Hermione, but you really do need to relax. You have been so focused on studying that you have barely done anything else for weeks already. I have an idea.” With a few flicks of her wand she set up privacy wards for the three of them before she turned back to the table. She then grinned at her fiancée and friend. “Lately we’ve been pulling smaller pranks, hitting small groups or individuals with things, to keep up the overall feel we have been cultivating so what we need now is another big one prank that will also take people’s minds off the upcoming exams. I think my idea might be kind of fun if we can pull it off. What if we found a way to change the passwords of the different Houses to things that were kind of amusing about the other Houses? Things that they would never use on their own but are funny and not exactly mean, just some teasing. Like for Ravenclaws, we can use something like ‘Brainiacs are sexy’ or ‘Knowledge gives you wings’ and maybe for Hufflepuffs we use ‘Friendship is Magic’ or something silly like ‘We’re excellent finders’. It’s the other two I am having trouble with. The only things I came up with for Slytherin were really mean.”

Luna giggled at that and her eyes were filled with excitement. It was obvious what she thought of this idea. She cocked her head to the side thoughtfully and then said, “What about ‘Clever is as clever does’ for Slytherin?”

The other two giggled at that. Hermione did like that as it was a nice dig at those Slytherins who failed to live up to that aspect of the House, such as Malfoy and many others. Maybe that would be nice. It promoted a good aspect of the House but could also be a bit of a dig if you looked at it right. “That works nicely. Oohhh… because of the whole Slytherin/ Parselmouth thing we can use, ‘We use our tongues.’” That got the other’s giggling. “What about our House? Any ideas?”

Shrugging, Ginny said, “No clue. I was hoping you might be able to figure something out. I mean that Slytherin one is really good.”

“Once we figure out what to use as pass phrases we can manage to make this happen. There are notes in Lupin’s journals from year six about how to change the passwords for the Houses. Apparently the Marauders had done this a few times to the Slytherins.” commented Hermione with an amused smile. “They used some very disparaging ones attacking individuals in that House, all the Death Eaters to be.”

“Is there a way to make them rotate between the Houses? I mean, maybe have them start with their own House for a day and then skip to another House so that each House gets all four of them that we choose to use?” asked Ginny looking thoughtful.

Hermione sat there and pondered that, wondering about differing ways that the charm could be modified to do this. There were several methods available that readily came to mind and some were more intrusive than others. The trick was trying to work with the paintings to make this work. Since it wasn’t actually an attack on the paintings per se, the paintings shouldn’t fight back against what was being done with the passwords. Remus had said that the Ravenclaw painting thought that their changing of the password had constituted a particularly good riddle all on its own. The fact that Remus had talked to the different paintings was intriguing on its own and made her think that they really could make this work rather quickly if it was approached correctly. “I can think of a number of ways to do that. I think the easiest would be to put them on a loop, one password per day for four days, same pattern but with a different starting point for each door. It would also make the spell work easier overall.”

Ginny got up and kissed her deeply getting Hermione to moan appreciatively. When she finished she looked down into her love’s face and said, “You are so sexy when you’re smart.”

“I thought I’m always smart?” asked Hermione with a raised eyebrow.

“Exactly.” Ginny waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Luna looked between the two girls and their flirting before she got really excited as she exclaimed, “I got it!”

Ginny and Hermione paused and turned to face the blond, both appearing worried as the redhead cautiously asked, “Got what Luna?”

“What to use for Gryffindor. It’s perfect.” She looked quite smug and seemed to be having a difficult time containing her giggles.

“I think I may regret this, but what?” asked Hermione slowly and worried about whatever the blond was going to say. Based on the impish look on her face it was not going to be good. Luna really did come up with some creative stuff but this might be a bit too far.

“We can make you roar.” She grinned rather cheekily, giving them a saucy look before winking.

Hermione and Ginny both groaned and lowered their heads to the table, glad that their arms could hide their blushes from the inordinately pleased blond. Hermione had just know it was going to be something like this. “See… I knew you would like it.”

HGHGHGHGHG

The door prank they had worked out had gone off without a hitch and Hermione had to admit it had brought her some relief from the stress of studying. The planning had been pleasurable and walking around the school hearing people laughing about the new passwords really made her feel good as well. They hadn’t picked anything mean, well not completely as the Slytherin one was a bit of a crack against some of them, especially people who were no longer here but all in all it was naught but good fun. And on the topic of Slytherins, she was still pleased that the school had reacted better than she had expected to the punishment, even their own House had been quite irritated with them. Currently the Bullies were being shunned by most everyone and no one really seemed to mind. Life might be better for them next year, but Hermione was not sure of that and kind of doubted it. They had really not made themselves any friends by doing this and the students who weren’t graduating had really been asking for it. They had completely misjudged the school, and even with the improved atmosphere that there was now, they were not going to do well. Did they think that kind of pureblood nonsense was going to fly after all that? Honestly, Hermione didn’t care anymore. There really was nothing like burning the bridge you were standing on, and they had set a big fire. They had gotten caught, punished, were now known bullies and people avoided being alone with them. Fair was fair. At least she hadn’t given in to her urges and torn them to pieces for hurting Lucy, though it really had been a close thing.

No, she was finally back to studying for her NEWTs and that was good. It had her mind off all that other nonsense and focused where it needed to be, her academic goals. She had humored Ginny for the most part and had waited just a bit longer to dive back in, though she had snuck in several mini-reviews whenever she had a chance or during Quidditch practice when she was not being supervised by the redhead. But no, Ginny had relented on her ridiculous point and allowed her to get back to going over the vast amount of material that there was to go over again. She had begrudgingly conceded the point that she did not need to study all night and if she did, due to a thorny problem or information that refused to stick, that had to be arranged and agreed upon first. She had rolled her eyes at that point but accepted that compromise to her usual approach to major tests. Things were sure to change again the week before the NEWTs but she was just trying to focus on the task at hand. For now she would actually manage to have decent sleep every night to humor Ginny. That had been a promise and she didn’t want to break her word to her love.

Given that she was back in her corner of the library where she was less likely to be disturbed by other students, she was in the zone and zipping through her books, supplemental reading, notebooks, a copy of Luna’s and Ginny’s notes as well as Lupin’s notebooks. This gave her the widest possible range of information on a given subject imaginable and she was sure she was going to need it if she was going to be able to not fail on these most important of exams. She was going over potions minutiae when Lucy ran up, slammed something onto the desk in front of her and said, “Hermione, you won’t believe it?”

She flicked her eyes down, noting the title of what was in front of her and she scowled. Part of her understood why Lucy would have this… this attempt at journalism, but she also really wished that her sister would show better taste in casual reading material. It was almost embarrassing. Even the Quibbler was better journalism in her opinion and some of their stories seemed a half-step from pure fantasy. “Lucy, honestly, why are you reading that drivel?”

Her sister frowned at her somewhat angrily and said, “Hermione, it’s not mine. Give me some credit. One of my friends handed it to me because of what I’m trying to show you. You need to see this. Now read it!”

Sighing in frustration at this interruption, Hermione looked closer at the cover of Witch Weekly and noticed a teaser that was in fairly bold print that read: Hermione Granger’s Surprising Love Life. Seeing that she began to frown and she found the table of contents quite easily, looking for the section in question. Lucy interrupted her search as she said, “I have a piece of paper marking the spot you need. You can just turn right to it.”

A bit worried about what sort of nonsense it was going to be this time, Hermione opened the magazine and blinked a few times as she saw the picture of her and Ginny hugging and kissing, looking blissfully happy without a care in the world. If she could make out the details correctly it had to have been in Hogsmeade, possibly on their last trip a few weeks ago. She groaned and rolled her eyes. Great, this was just what she needed right now, the whole bloody wizarding world involved in her love life. She read the article with a degree of disbelief.

_Golden Girl in Sapphic Tryst with Silver Siren_

_One of our clever reporters, dear readers, found out one of the most amazing bits of information the other weekend. It seems that not one but two of our brave heroes have found themselves in a relationship, and a serious one at that. Hermione Granger, Order of Merlin First Class, friend to Harry Potter, the Golden Girl herself was spotted in the arms of Ginevra Weasley, Order of Merlin Second Class, another friend to Harry Potter, and one of the big heroes of the Resistance Movement at Hogwarts. Sorry to dash your hopes boys but it’s true, they’re indeed together and have been since August of last year when they started dating. What’s more, these two, who were former paramours of the other two members of the Golden trio, are not only in a relationship with each other but are also engaged, which happened over the winter holidays on Christmas Day. Given the beautiful rings each are wearing this is clearly a serious situation between the two of them. While we are on pins and needles, trying to figure out who Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley could be dating, we here at Witch Weekly wish to offer up our congratulations to these brave witches who helped save us all in our nation’s darkest days. They deserve every happiness._

She blinked a few times in surprise. When she had seen the title she had clearly expected the worst, knowing what she did of wizarding journalism and their lack of libel laws, common decency, or so it seemed. But this, this… this was unexpected. A major magazine congratulating her and Ginny on their engagement, nothing in her experience with majority of the media had prepared her for this. What was she supposed to do with this?

That made her think about that last Hogsmeade trip and who she had run into. Seeing Parvati had been wonderful and they had spent some time catching up with each other. She had seemed very interested in their relationship and had insisted on knowing all the details. Given that the behavior was not out of the norm for her gossip hungry former roommate, Hermione had thought nothing of it, now however it seemed a touch suspicious. She flipped to the table of contents which also had the list of reporters for the article and sure enough, under interns, was one Parvati Patil. She sighed heavily. They had walked right into that one.

She looked up at Lucy who was grinning at her. Her sister seemed more pleased than upset. “Isn’t that a good picture of you two?”

“Did you know about this?” asked Hermione, slightly accusatory.

“Not until I was shown it. But still, isn’t this a good thing? Now everyone knows and you won’t have to worry about hiding it from everyone,” pointed out Lucy rather obviously.

Hermione frowned slightly as she tried to figure that out. It had been a matter that she had been concerned about. “I hope so. I honestly don’t know.”

“We should send this to mum and dad,” said Lucy excitedly. “Do you think Perdita would have any problems carrying it? I am sure they would love the picture of you two. You two look so cute.”

“I think she would be fine with it. It’s not that heavy and she is a very strong owl. And I think mum and dad would be amused by this especially the title,” replied Hermione. “I’m just worried about what the overall response will be to everyone finding out about the two of us. One time things got printed about me in the press I got sent howlers and envelopes of bubotuber pus. It wasn’t pretty.”

Lucy frowned a little. It was clear that she had not thought about that possible side of things. “You’ll be okay… won’t you?”

“I don’t know. Maybe?” Hermione was unsure. She wanted to reassure her sister but she didn’t want to lie either. The reactions of the wizarding public was always difficult to figure out.

“Well, you know Ginny will be there for you no matter what. And the same with me and Luna and Harry and you know Mum and Dad and Amy will always be there.” Lucy came up and hugged her. She relaxed into that, just enjoying the feel of the hug. Lucy did hug better than Simon had as she was less tentative about it.

Hermione then looked worried as something else occurred to her, something that could prove to be a different kind of problem. “Has Ginny seen this?”

“I don’t know?” Lucy seemed unsure why this could be an issue.

Ginny’s voice then boomed across the library, “Where are you my sweet? Come, we must away to our Sapphic tryst!”

Hermione groaned and lowered her head to her books as she could hear Miss Pince begin chastising Ginny, berating her for excessive noise. Giggling and outright laughter from other students filled the air. Why did this always seem to happen to her? And what was it with Weasleys and embarrassing her?

HGHGHGHGHG

Friday afternoon found Hermione back in the Library, once again at her table, desperately hoping that people would leave her alone so she could get some bloody work done. She had been getting rather frustrated overall as people just wouldn’t leave her alone or stop acting the fool. The last troublemaker she had caught, who had done something, she didn’t even remember what anymore, she had left them dangling upside down by an ankle thanks to Levicorpus with a sign in front of them making a bold statement as to his guilt while her patronus raced off to get him assistance. She seriously did not want to waste any more of her precious time with this nonsense and she hoped that people would get that hint. It was almost time for the NEWTs and she was just done. Had people simply forgotten how important they were, how much they could affect your future? She hadn’t and tried to devote as much time as possible to making sure she had this information down pat. That was especially difficult with the constraints to her time that Ginny had imposed. She had to come downstairs for dinner, had to get a full night’s sleep, had to relax at least a half hour each day. Was she aware of how much she could learn in a half hour? Honestly! And that was on top of the fact that she had lost a few days at the beginning of May to nightmares and flashbacks.

The table was filled with Arithomancy tables as she was working through a set of equations that were more likely to be seen as part of someone’s Mastery level work than as part of the NEWTs however she was sure that there might just be a question or two at this level to trip up a few of the better students. She wanted to ensure she didn’t transpose anything and accidentally have her power levels inverted or worse yet somehow flip the geometry of the wand gestures. It was very exacting work and could not be rushed. Needless to say, she was more than a touch frazzled at this point in her work and her hair was actually bushier than normal, as her magic was not helping matters. That is possibly the only excuse for what occurred.

Luna sat down across from her and said brightly, “So, about tomorrow.”

“GAH!” Papers flew into the air along with her quill.

Luna remained unaffected, simply watching her. When Hermione quieted down and stopped panting she continued on, “I figure if we leave early we can floo to The Leaky Cauldron and have breakfast there. Harry is planning on meeting us so we can eat all together.”

Hermione rubbed her eyes and counted to ten in Old Norse and then again in Old English before she felt even remotely able to speak, “What exactly are you talking about Luna?”

“Honestly Hermione, can’t you remember anything important? Tomorrow is the date you two agreed on when you and Harry are meeting at Gringotts…” Luna trailed off to see if that would spur Hermione’s memory.

It did. Brown eyes widened and then she groaned in frustration. “Crap. The ceremony’s tomorrow.”

Luna cocked her head to the side, trying to figure her out, and asked, “Did you honestly forget that you and Harry are going to become siblings tomorrow? This big event you two have been planning since New Years? That you chose the date for since it was auspicious for both goblins and wizards? The thing that had both of you so giddy?”

“What? I have been trying to study but people keep interrupting me. Instead of being able to use my time wisely I have to keep breaking my flow to deal with one inane problem or another. I am so wound up over all this I am worried I might even forget my own name.” Hermione protested, throwing her hands in the air to make her point.

“It’s Hermione Jean Granger in case you are wondering though I don’t know if you are planning on taking Ginny’s last name or she is taking yours after you are married. Either way it would be cute.” Luna pointed out helpfully. “Though if you had stayed with Ronald I can’t imagine you taking his last name as it wouldn’t exactly fit now would it but I can get how even though they’re the same they’re different.”

Hermione ground her teeth, trying to keep calm, closing her eyes in an attempt to push all this irritation away. She loved Luna dearly, having grown so much closer to her ever since Shell Cottage and strangling the girl would really not be helpful at this juncture. Working at controlling her breathing she tightened her fists, hoping that would help. Suddenly she was tipped over backwards and kissed vigorously. Her eyes went wide, her mouth opened in surprise, an error which was quickly exploited by the lips pressed against hers, as a tongue dove in and she was properly snogged. Flailing slightly in panic, her arms tried to figure out what to do until Luna sat her upright a bit later. Hermione sat there staring at her, eyes almost comically wide, mouth fallen open, and disbelief clear on her face. This kiss had been longer and more through than the one at Christmas much to her dismay. Luna searched her eyes carefully and then the air over her head before giving her a pleased look. “Yes… much better. That seems to have taken care of the majority of the warckspurts that you were being plagued with. You really need to do more to prevent an infestation like that Hermione. It could have really caused so permanent damage. With Ginny busy prepping for this weekend’s game you could have had a colony make its home in you and that would have required far more drastic action to remove. I mean, do you really want to end up like Cho Chang?”

Hermione blinked at her slowly, her mind failing to turn over as she was having some trouble following what the blond was saying. “I… you… wha…”

“Why yes Hermione, you are correct, after that many wrackspurts messing with your mind you could use a break. Why not take one of your calming potions and have a break for thirty minutes before you get back to work. Once you’ve done that everything will be as bright as a Heliopath.” Luna patted Hermione on the shoulder and started to walk away, sashaying a little, knowing it would draw her friend’s eyes. She looked over her shoulder and winked before saying, “I’ll see you at the Entrance Way at eight so we can leave for London. The sooner we get done the sooner we can get back here to watch Ginny play.”

Hermione nodded dumbly, barely registering what the blond said. Luna had kissed her. Again. It wasn’t a bad kiss. Actually it had been pretty nice overall but that wasn’t the point. Luna had kissed her. Why did she do that? Maybe… maybe Luna was right and she could use a bit of a break. With a wave of her wand she gathered her things together and shoved them into her bag absently. She pulled out a vial of her calming draught and drank it down as she left the Library, heading downstairs rather leisurely. Maybe she should go watch Ginny practice. That might help her feel better. The way that girl rode a broom just did things to her, for her. She knew Gin wouldn’t feel jealous about what had happened between her and Luna and would actually laugh at her for needing a wrackspurt cure but still, Luna had kissed her. Again.

What was going on with her life?

HGHGHGHGHG

Tuesday was upon them and Hermione was once again at her library table, books spread out and going over her notes. This time the subject she was reviewing was Herbology and she had made a special effort to get Neville’s notes as she knew that he was the only person their year who was superior to her in the field. Even with her having an extra year of class time she was sure he was still superior in his knowledge of plants. This was his passion and to neglect that fact was to simply miss what was important. He would always be better in that subject because he truly loved the field. She was decent but had no real love for plants so she did the best she could.

She had formatted her notes more along the lines of muggle biology notes and field guides, something that Neville had copied from her their second year, as it gave her easier reference and access to information. The older Grimores and even the school books to a degree had information scattered about and it was a pain trying to look up any one thing. It made cross-referencing a major chore. This way was certainly easier for her to work with which was why she had stuck with it. Their sketches were not the greatest but they had gotten progressively better over time, with Neville’s improvement being greater, again probably due to his passion for herbology and his desire to show things correctly. Hermione had books covering the pictures where her artwork was not best in order to get clearer images, to ensure she had the absolute best idea of what each plant looked like in her mind, for identification purposes. Memorizing the various details about the plants was the easy part but the focused information about individual plant anatomy and soil analysis and how that affected the specific plants, the nuances of the field, that was not her strength. She was trying to make sure that she had filled in that gap before the NEWTs as it was her biggest failing in any one topic (besides Divination which was just poppycock). There was no way she was going to fail in this subject, not if she could help it. Granted she did not expect to score anything close to Neville whose score in Herbology was akin to Harry’s in Defense. No, she wanted to make sure she did the best she could and that meant a great deal of focused studying to drive the information home.

Turning the page of her notes, getting to the next plant on her list, everything was interrupted as Ginny burst in on her waving a letter, her face red, and she seemed to be hyperventilating despite the smile that kept getting broken by her panting. She managed to gasp out, “‘mione… look!”

With a groan that her study was interrupted yet again by someone waving something in her face, Hermione dropped her head quickly, managing to refrain from banging the table and stretched out her hand for the letter. If her fiancée thought it was important she might as well read it so she could get this entire mess over with and return to her studying. Ginny gave it to her with a grin and continued puffing as she watched her. Clearly she had run to her from wherever she had been when she had received this letter. What could it be that was so important?

Hermione glanced down and noted that the letter in her hand was on Holyhead Harpy stationary. That made her quirk an eyebrow in surprise. She glanced over at Ginny who was nodding her head excitedly. All thoughts of annoyance over this interruption vanished and her interest had certainly been peaked.

Looking further, she read the letter and could feel her eyebrows climbing as she went.

_Dear Miss Weasley,_

_After watching you play twice, both last fall and again this past weekend, I must say that the club is indeed interested in your style of play. It is aggressive without being foolhardy and you seem to have a good understanding of where your teammates are on the field. Your quaffle handling skills are impressive and you seem to be able to score easily from any direction you approach the goal. That in and of itself is an impressive skill and when taken all together our club is rather interested in you. We would like to offer you a spot in our summer training camp to determine if there is a place for you in our organization._

_Sincerely,_

_Gwenog Jones_

_Captain, Holyhead Harpies_

Hermione’s eyes had only gotten wider and wider as she had read further into the letter, her breath even catching in anticipation and when she had reached the end she had whooped loudly. “Yes!”

Miss Pince stormed over and chided her, “Miss Granger!”

“Sorry Miss Pince. I… I just got some really fantastic news.” Hermione colored, embarrassed that she had broken the silence of the library in that manner. It was not something she did often because she hated disappointing the Librarian.

By this time, Ginny had gotten her breath back and grinned at her, speaking again as Miss Pince left, “I know… right?”

“This… this…” Hermione was at a loss for words. This was simply amazing and everything her love had been working towards.

“You know, I couldn’t have done this without you keeping me focused. You, you just do something to me.” This time Ginny was the one who flushed and looked away briefly.

Hermione’s gaze turned rather smoldering as she looked at her fiancée. There was no doubt in her mind now that she was going to be married to a professional athlete. How could Ginny fail with an opportunity like this? It was kind of thrilling in a way that she had not expected it to be but who was she to fight it? Who would have thought way back when in primary school when all those bullies were calling her names, knocking books from her hands and other things that she would be marrying an extremely hot professional athlete? If only they could see her now. She could feel herself growing slick at the notion of how amazing Ginny was, how awesome a player she was, and just how absolutely hot she would look in one of those tight dark green and white uniforms with the gold talon that the Harpies wore. That uniform would cling to her so nicely except for the robe. It would be so lovely to peel it off her after a game and have her way with her little Chaser. They always did have such excellent sex after a game and with her playing professionally that certainly offered the hope of lots of thrilling sex to come. As she ran her fingers up and down Ginny’s arm she could see her fiancée’s eyes darken in response to her desire. There was to be no waiting to celebrate this. “Absolutely. You do the same to me love.”

She cast the privacy spells quickly, efficiently and might have accidentally overpowered them just a little bit in her haste. She honestly didn’t care if it drove students away from this area as it ensured more potential security. She had something far more important to do and it did not involve worrying about other students or classwork. With another brief flick, she capped the ink in the no spill bottle and gave her redhead the entirety of her focus. “Oh Merlin baby I am so proud of you. Come here.”

“Thank you love.” They came together clutching the other tightly, each of them kissing with as much passion as they could muster.

“You will be a marvelous Harpy.” Hermione began kissing and sucking on Ginny’s neck, occasionally biting in a few spots, knowing that Ginny liked that occasional flare of light pain. She did to for that matter but right now she was trying to take care of her love as Ginny had certainly earned this.

“Mmmmm… my girl.” Ginny ran her hand down Hermione’s hair and then slid her fingers up at the base, tangling her fingers up inside. Hermione enjoyed that sensation just before her fiancée tightened her hand.

That action made Hermione’s head pull slightly back and away from Ginny’s neck, letting the other girl move her head down to start working on the older girl’s neck. She sucked a few places before moving back up to kiss Hermione deeply, hands sliding down shoulders to pass over breasts before the fingers curled the hand around. Hermione moaned and bent her back, pushing up into her hand. Their kissing and snogging grew even more aggressive and they sort of fell into the table, jostling it, making it move with a slight screech of wood skittering on stone.

Both women pulled back, short of breath, staring at each other lustily, deep into the other’s eyes hungry with need. Hermione’s brain ran over things, including where she was and honestly she had to admit she would rather not have hard wood under her ass or stone under her knees while she was occupied at taking care of her beloved Vixen. And she planned to be occupied for a while if she had her druthers. They had a far better place for this anyway and could linger there as long as they liked. “Room?”

With a wanton smile Ginny answered, “Room.”

She packed quickly, flicking her wand about crazily, making sure to get everything all together, and even grabbing a few library books at the same time. Her panties were soaked at this point and she wanted to get to her room so she could peel them off. They were not the most comfortable things to have on when she was this aroused, given how they clung to her and tended to grow slightly chill. As they left, she canceled the privacy wards and they hustled to the Gryffindor Tower by the most direct route they knew. She realized that a few voices had called out to her as they had gone through the school and common room but honestly she couldn’t care, she had something far more important in mind. There was no screaming or explosions occurring so clearly none of the calls were an emergency. She wanted to try something and that took priority.

On an impulse at the bookstore when she had been getting the books for Lucy as well as a few more for her, she had made a purchase, something that she knew would be fun however she had not been sure how Ginny would react to it. The book she had found at Flourish and Blots had a few spells within it that she knew could make the experience… well far more intense than she thought muggles could achieve that was for sure and she was good with that. This was one of those times where being magical really was superior. It didn’t always work out that way in her experience but this was most definitely a positive for the magical side. Now if only Gin would be fine with the idea.

Ginny gave the password and the two of them bundled into the room, throwing the door closed behind them. Hermione quickly set things for privacy. The last thing she wanted was to be interrupted while they were having crazy mad celebratory sex. It just wouldn’t do. Once was one time too many in her opinion and she was still a touch embarrassed about that.

The kissing began again and clothes began to fall by the wayside, flung every which way. Once the floor was properly littered, a few pieces even hanging off various bits of furniture, Hermione shoved Ginny backwards onto the bed and dove between her legs with intent, her mouth already salivating, craving the taste of her beloved. This had been something she had been thinking about the whole run up from the library and it was most certainly a Need. She feasted, losing herself in the taste, the sounds, the tight pull in her hair, the press of thigh against her head, the feel of the skin on and under her tongue. She used her fingers a bit, sliding them in, first one, then two, hooking her fingers and turning them to really make Ginny scream, cry, gasp, moan before she pulled back, leaving her a touch shaky. Ginny worked to catch her breath as Hermione gave her a cautious look before asking, “Do you trust me?”

Ginny’s return look was a touch glazed but filled with absolute love and devotion. She smiled happily at her happy looking fiancée and said, “Always.”

Hoping that that would remain the truth, Hermione slid from the bed and moved to her desk, opening one of the drawers. She summoned her wand with a twist of her hand and once she had it, removed the privacy protections on the box. Ginny’s eyes widened as Hermione opened it and pulled out a harness with a big ring on it and what looked like a disembodied penis. Her mouth opened in shock and she muttered, “What the…”

Hermione smirked, enjoying the response, finishing the tightening, as she hadn’t sewn in the self-tightening runes into the inside of the harness to make it easier and faster to put on. It all depended on what Ginny thought of it after all. What was the point of exerting that kind of effort if her fiancée hated the whole thing? Why spend hours of work if it would never be used again? Once on and properly adjusted, with the dildo settled correctly, she cast the two spells she recalled from the book that were in there to make a strap-on feel more real and could transfer sensations to her. That book had proved itself time and again to her so far and she was trembling slightly in anticipation. Walking back towards the bed, the phallus bobbing in time with her hip sway and feeling so… different, Hermione gave Ginny a cheeky grin, with fists perched on her hips. “Alright Kitten, it’s time for your surprise.”

Ginny’s eyes were wide and she bit her bottom lip nervously as she couldn’t take her eyes off the dildo. She gave a slight nod as Hermione crawled onto the bed and towards her, her tousled hair looking even more mane like with that predatory look on her face. Ginny’s knees were bent and they were slowly pulled apart and to the sides by Hermione, who looked down at her, enjoying the sight of her freckled love lying there, somewhat uneasy, clearly trepidatious. In all honesty she was as well, but Ginny had let it show first and in her mind only one of them could be visibly nervous at any one time. Besides, since she was the one in control right now it really ramped up her desire to see the normally so in control redhead look a bit anxious. Once she had settled herself on her knees between her fiancée’s spread thighs, she took the dildo and rubbed the tip of it slowly up and down the redhead’s cleft.

Ginny closed her eyes and shuddered at the sensation and so did Hermione. She could feel the wetness, the smoothness of the flesh, the slickness as she slid up and down. It made her tremble in eagerness. If it felt like that for something that simple, what would it feel like…? Taking the head and turning slow circles at the entrance of the vaginal canal she watched attentively to catch whatever reaction Ginny would have to this. Her love shuddered and tried to roll her hips upward, trying to get more, more contact, more depth, more what she didn’t know but so wanted to discover. A smile grew on her face. Perhaps this hadn’t been a rash purchase after all.

Sliding in slowly, the intensity of the feeling rolling down her legs and up her back, Hermione kept going until she was in as far as she could go. Ginny moaned deeply, a sound similar to when Hermione really worked her with her fingers. Since this was longer and thicker than her fingers she could understand why that sensation could be pleasurable. She enjoyed that as well, that fullness. Pausing there hip to hip, groin to groin, until Ginny opened her eyes, she leaned down and they kissed softly, gently. Now it was time to start thrusting. She rocked her hips back and forth, leisurely, getting a feel for the unaccustomed action. And after one set she had to stop and pause, her breathing tight. Oh Merlin… that sensation was so different from anything she had felt before. She had to focus if she was going to continue, the spell having given her a completely new array of experiences.

Moving her hips in as smooth a rhythm as she could manage, both of their breathing grew ragged as they got more and more into this. Ginny did not take as long to go over the edge as she had been very primed already and when she started bucking her hips up, clenching around the dildo Hermione’s eyes widened at the resistance and how that felt. She kept going, feeling her own wave growing, shoulders vibrating as something new moved through her. Moving faster and faster, she thrust, her hips starting to ache from the unfamiliar action but she could not tarry. No matter how much it ached she would do this, she wanted to do this. She was getting closer and closer, the crest of her wave rising higher. Ginny tightened around her, again, a slight pulsing of the vaginal walls transferred through, breath coming in gasps, skin tingly, almost as if it had lifted off her body, Ginny hooked heels around her hips, pulling Hermione in deeper, harder, faster, stronger, the sensations of the dildo so immediate, so focused, like it was her clitoris only longer, oh god, fingers clutching her arms, sliding to her breasts, to sheets, grabbing Gin’s thighs as she leaned back, still thrusting, the new angle drawing new, different moans, trying to wipe hair from her face, pulling Ginny towards her, plunging forward, torso undulating to fall forward onto her arms, breasts pressed together, sweat drenching hair, arms aching, hips shuddering on the verge of screaming as she drove on, oh merlin, oh god, Oh Ginny, legs still pulling her in, trying to reach in, thrust in deeper, to touch all of her, fingers tight on shoulders, flare of pain, nails in flesh, oh god, oh merlin, clenching, tightening, must, so tight, must, oh god, harder, so…, more, so… guh, uh, guh, Uh, Ah, must, Aaahhh, harder, AAAaaahhhh!!!

Hermione slumped against Ginny, her legs and hips throbbing in new ways, feeling some of the muscles actually quivering, almost numb, especially in her hips. With great effort she lifted her head up from Ginny’s shoulder and her love brushed damp hair that was sticking to her face away. With a smirk, Ginny said in a voice drunk with pleasure, “Yeah… I think we will have to do that again.”

With a nod, Hermione smiled, wanting to catch her breath. “That was… wow. The spell focuses the sensations. I… wow. You’ll enjoy it when it’s your turn. Thank you.”

With a chuckle, that tightened muscles in a pleasurable manner around the enspelled dildo that made Hermione moan happily, Ginny said, “No, thank you. I am so looking forward to it Kitten.”


	50. Chapter 50

Forty-Nine

Hermione looked into the mirror and adjusted her tie yet again, trying to get it absolutely straight. She had done the best she could with her hair, makeup and jewelry and now she was hoping that she actually looked good. She was no Lavender Brown or Parvati Patil but she had paid some attention to their conversations on makeup. It was the last day of school; in fact right after breakfast they would be catching the Hogwarts Express as students for the last time. For some reason, she actually wanted to look good for this, to represent the school and position of Head Girl well for her last time. It meant something to her.

She frowned at the image. Something was wrong but she couldn’t figure out what. The mirror was no help, especially as she had blocked that feature since what it had to say generally annoyed her. Ginny came up behind her, wrapping her arms about Hermione’s middle and kissed her on the cheek. “You look beautiful love, stop fidgeting with that. There is nothing else you need to do in order to look perfect. You look amazing, better than this school deserves. Now, let’s go. We need to head downstairs and get this show on the road.”

With a bit of a nervous smile Hermione turned away from the mirror, her eyes full of gratefulness at her love’s words. She felt a bit calmer, more grounded all due to a few words soothing her agitated nerves. She could do this.  “Thanks Gin.”

They both looked around the room they had shared for the year for one last time. Everything was already packed away, all their things loaded, and their trunks were already downstairs with the others, waiting to be taken and loaded onto the train. Topsy had taken them down after they had gotten out of their bath and grabbed their clothes for the day. They had hugged the House Elf goodbye and Topsy blushed and stammered her own goodbyes before Hermione started trying to finish up her primping. There were so many memories in here, so many good and bad things, and so much happiness. How could a simple glance take all that in and hold it tight forever? She sighed heavily, a lot of what she was feeling layered in the sound.

Ginny hugged her from behind again, wrapping her arms about Hermione’s waist. Her head was alongside hers when she said softly, “I know love, but you knew that this was going to end as well as I did.”

Hermione nodded slightly, her voice thick with emotion as she replied, “Yeah, but I didn’t think it would be so difficult to say goodbye to our room. We went from girlfriends to fiancées in this room. This is where we first lived together. Our lives changed here so much.”

After a bit of silence, Ginny said, “I know love, but while things may have changed here we can only go forward. Come on,” and with that she took her hand, pulling her slightly towards the door. The two of them headed down from the Head Girl room, with Hermione taking one last moment to run her hand over the lion lovingly, remembering so much, a smile playing gently at the thought of her password and how that in a way made her feel closer to Luna. The feel of Ginny’s Quidditch calloused hand in hers helped keep her calm and focused on the here and now instead of getting lost in memories or maudlin thoughts. It was so easy for her to want to freak out over all of this and over the weight of the past that was pressing down on her. They were graduates of Hogwarts, finally, and she had no idea how she had done on her NEWTs which made her a touch crazy. She knew how she had done in her classes but those tests determined a great deal about what she could do in the future. Having those results hanging over head like the sword of Damocles really drove home that life really started once they got home and had to face the rest of their lives apart from school.

Squeezing her hand, Ginny turned to her slightly, looking over her shoulder and up the stairs, commenting, “Stop fretting Kitten. Look, everything will be alright love. Trust me. Honestly ‘mione sometimes you are so silly.”

Blushing slightly, she said, “Sorry. I just… it’s just, there are so many important things we have to decide soon, about so many important things, and I know how easy it is to make mistakes, especially on the NEWTs.”

“Yes love I know and we’ll be fine. Besides how many people in the school know how often you make mistakes of the magnitude needed for you to have failed so epically huge that we won’t be able to manage to work things out? None, because nothing of that kind has ever happened and I doubt it ever will. You are always so careful and think things through so much that there really isn’t any room for failure.” The grin Ginny was wearing was filled with amusement.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she nudged her love as they reached the Common Room, making Ginny giggle a little at her. Lucy looked over at the sound from where she was sitting with a few of her friends and talking near the fire. She stood up and came over to stand by them bouncing a little on the balls of her feet. “Are we heading downstairs?”

“Yeah Mini-Me,” teased Hermione. Since the start of the New Year, when everything had changed and Lucy had appeared, she had started acting even more like her big sister than she had been doing previously, which was saying something. Lucy seemed to enjoy the nickname, only smiling in response most of the time, so Hermione was happy to use it. Her sister really was good bit like her, in the way she acted more than anything else, and it was kind of adorable. Surely she had never been that cute while she had been studying. Ginny might disagree but she pretty much expected that.

Shaking her head in amusement at the new siblings as they walked, Ginny lead the way out of the Common Room. They waved goodbye to the Fat Lady before Ginny asked, “So who do you think is going to complain about things first, my family or yours?”

“My guess is that your Mum will not be pleased with us staying with my parents over the summer and will say something about it pretty fast,” guessed Hermione. “My folks don’t have much to complain about at the moment. After we have been there a while that might change. Your Mum wants everybody to be at her house in one big happy Weasley family.”

“Okay… I can see that happening,” said Ginny with a slight chuckle. “That is so like her that there is little doubt that’s how it’s going to play out. We don’t get to see them enough.”

“You know that will change soon,” commented Hermione, pointing out the obvious.

“Yeah. True enough. Oh, I guess we need to find a place near where you are planning to go to school that has a good floo connection to Holyhead if I get picked up by them,” mused Ginny thoughtfully.

“I love that you’re going to be a professional Quidditch player,” commented Lucy, throwing her two knuts into the conversation. “You are just so good it’s not a surprise.”

“It’s not a guarantee that I’ll get picked up Lucy,” replied Ginny. “I still have to try out and hopefully impress them with how I do. Professional Quidditch is not the same as School Quidditch.”

Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation. Sometimes Ginny’s lack of belief in herself rivaled her own and it was frustrating to deal with. Was this how Ginny felt in dealing with her and her own insecurities? Perhaps she should apologize to her later for making her love put up with her acting like that. “Ginny, you’re the best player in your year, the closest person in flying ability to you in the previous few years is Harry and he has no intention to play. Face it love, right now you are probably the best flyer of your age group there is. They would be fools not to snatch you up when they had a chance. I’m just surprised other teams haven’t tried to swoop in and steal you.”

“Well, I guess I can agree with you.” Ginny smiled happily. “And I have heard from other teams but who cares when compared with the chance to play with the Harpies?”

Hermione rolled her eyes upward in amusement. This was taking her mind off leaving but did Ginny have to be such a prat in doing so? Not telling her something that important? She kind of wanted to swat her but before thought turned to action a voice broke in, aborting that plan. “Miss Granger?”

Turning, Hermione spotted Professor Cottington heading towards her, striding purposefully in that way of hers. She raised an eyebrow as she looked from Ginny back towards her. “Yes Professor?”

“A moment of your time please.” Professor Cottington asked politely once she was closer.

“Certainly Professor. Gin, could you make me a plate when I’m gone?” asked Hermione sweetly.

“No problem love.” Ginny kissed her on the cheek and turned away before Hermione headed off towards their Head of House.

“Yes Professor?” Hermione was curious as to what she might want as she walked up to the former Auror. To Hermione’s knowledge she had done everything she was supposed to do except for the last duties with the train, so she was at a loss as for what she might want from her. She stood in front of her waiting.

“I just wanted to say my goodbyes to you personally. It was a privilege having you in class this year. You certainly helped me push my teaching and I appreciated that. I may know the subject but I was far more used to teaching recruits rather than students. And on top of all of that, you were an excellent Head Girl who helped all the Perfects do their jobs well.” This was all said with a smile.

“Thank you Professor.” Hermione blushed a little, still a bit uncomfortable with the praise. She had grown to like their new Head of House quite well over the year and it made her feel good to hear this. Getting praised for doing what she had considered to be her job was a bit strange but she did her best to roll with it.

“Octavia please. Once you leave here we are effectively peers and we might as well start acting like that now, since you are already graduated and a train ride away from no longer being a student. I also want to say that it was lovely getting to know you and Ginny as well. The both of you make a wonderful couple.” Octavia seemed a touch amused at her reaction.

Hermione was not as uncomfortable with this notion as she thought she might. Calling a teacher she barely knew by her first name might not be a struggle. Certainly it would be different with the Headmistress which was something she was a touch afraid of. “Same here Octavia. We both really enjoyed getting to know you. Our chats were enjoyable. They were always interesting, on the whole.”

“You take care of yourself and your fiancée. She is a handful and I certainly don’t pity you that task. Also let her know that I wish her luck at the training camp. Gwenog promised that she was going to treat her just like everyone else.”

“Wait, you got her onto the Harpies?” Hermione stared at Octavia as if she had just grown a second head.

The DADA Professor just chuckled and said, “Hardly. Gwenog and I have been close for a while and when I mentioned that she absolutely had to see Ginny play she came to watch a match. And Ginny had to go and get herself seriously hurt before Gwenog could talk to her. She decided to see if she could bounce back from that injury before offering this to her and obviously Ginny did her usual great job. It was all Ginny. I just got Gwenog here.”

Hermione beamed at her, “Thank you for that. You really have made her dreams come true. The Harpies are her favorite team and she adores Gwenog Jones.”

“Not a problem Hermione. It was my distinct pleasure. Taking care of my students is like taking care of my Aurors, only with more hugging. And do remember that I am always here if you need some assistance or you just want to talk.” Octavia then hugged Hermione. “Be well Hermione.”

Hermione waved at her and walked off, a touch dazed by what she had learned. That was wonderful and had been just what Ginny had needed. If only Slugworth had used his connections for that instead. That was fine because he had given her a letter of introduction to the head of the program she wanted to start, so he wasn’t completely useless. Between his, Flitwick’s and McGonagall’s she should be just fine. She headed towards the Great Hall for her last meal at Hogwarts, at least for the foreseeable future letting her thoughts try to drift away. Even if she intended on returning to teach it wasn’t going to be a quick return to the school as she had several things she had to accomplish first. Ginny was at their usual spot at the end of the Gryffindor table with Luna and Lucy and they were eating and chatting away quite happily. The redhead spotted her heading in and grinned at her, her face filling with joy. This made Hermione overjoyed, to see such clear signs of love from her Vixen. It warmed her heart, widening her own smile. Her love had already prepared her a plate and even made her a cup of tea. She passed them over as she asked, “Anything important love?”

Hermione shook her head as she turned to her meal, determined to keep some things a secret for a while. “No, she just wanted to say goodbye and to remind me that we can call on her whenever we wanted.”

“That might be fun,” pondered Ginny. “Having tea with her was always pretty interesting. I did like her idea of House check in’s with the Prefects and me just to see how everything was going. I think it helped pull us together as a House even more.”

“We’ll have to do that after things settle down, see her for tea,” said Hermione, taking another sip of her tea and enjoying the flavor. Ginny got the right balance of honey and milk making the cup practically perfect.

“Sounds good to me. That really would be a lot of fun. Also, I am so glad McGonagall said all those nice things about you last night at the leaving feast. You deserved them, everyone. To think you made it through this school with the best grades overall in the history of Hogwarts, even with Snape going after you, well done. I really am proud of you Kitten. You’re just amazing.”

Hermione cheeks colored some. More praise. It really wasn’t all that easy to deal with but she knew that Ginny meant it sincerely. She was not a fan of having her cheeks heat up like that but what could she do? “Thanks.”

She focused on her meal, savoring the food, even though it was simple breakfast food. This time she had no need to rush as Cameron was the one heading down to the train and she would follow behind after all the students were out of the school, making sure everyone was on their way to the train. Leaving people at school was not going to be workable over the summer after all, since there was still apparently work to be done in a few places. Besides, from what she knew there was no one in the school at the moment who might need to stay as Harry wasn’t here and it had been a while since Tom Riddle had been here as well. There were no orphans that had nowhere good to go that she knew of currently, or at least no one had told her of any.

Once they were done eating Hermione hugged Luna and Lucy and kissed Ginny before the three of them left. She knew it wouldn’t be long but parting for any reason was a great excuse to kiss her hot redhead so she was good with it, knowing that it might make some people jealous which she was okay with. Those three joined the stream of students headed out of the school and to the carriages, Lucy waving at her briefly. Hermione stood in the entrance way and did her job, solving the occasional issue that some of the students had, most often Firsties or Second years, but primarily she waited for everyone to finish eating breakfast or just too simply get out here. There was still time until the train was scheduled to leave but she wanted to get back to Ginny sooner rather than later. A voice cleared behind her and she turned.

The Headmistress was standing there with a smile on her face, her hands clasped in front of her. “I’m not sure I said it before but thank you for returning Hermione, the school was much livelier with you here than not. And I was so very proud that you finished your education with such flair and that you did so well with your classes overall.”

With reddening cheeks, Hermione replied, “Well, I didn’t want to leave things undone. I really hate that. And this school has been such an important part of my life that is it any wonder that I wanted to return for my last year? It was like coming home for just a little bit longer before you set out into the wide world.”

“I understand and it’s little wonder. You have done some wonderful things while you have been a student here Hermione, and I do hope you seriously consider the idea of returning at some point to join the staff. You would be an amazing asset wherever you worked but I still believe that writing and teaching are where you would most thrive, find your greatest enjoyment.” Minerva looked at her fondly. “Besides, on top of everything else you have a rare skill that it would be a shame to see stifled in any other setting, such as the Ministry.”

Hermione was a bit confused at that. She had no idea what McGonagall was talking about? She was aware of her knowledge and was at a loss. “Which skill would that be?”

“Your pranking abilities. I must say they are on par if not a touch better than the Marauders or the twins, but as I gather you learned from them both is it any wonder you had such skill. But you do have a lovely flair with your pranks that really gets people thinking as well as laughing.” The grin that the Headmistress gave her was very feline; the kind a cat might give a trapped mouse.

Swallowing nervously, feeling very much like said trapped mouse, Hermione asked tentatively, “How long have you know?”

“Oh, almost since the beginning actually. It took me a short while to figure it out, no more than a few weeks, but there were a number of clues that did point in your direction. Between you not walking patrols but still doing so well at keeping the halls safe and secure, which was something James and Lily were notorious for I might add, and some of the nuances of the pranks pulled which seemed to have a bit of your touch for magic. Once I put these facets of the problem together it could only be you who was behind it or one of the others in your coterie. Besides, who else in this school had the sheer magical talent and knowledge to do some of the things you achieved.” She actually sounded amused and proud which did not help with the flush of embarrassment that burned Hermione’s cheeks. The Head Girl was a bit mortified at what the Headmistress had said and kept saying, “Besides, you reminded me of better times and happier days with these. The pranks were all playful and clever, so how could I really be angry? And from what my Heads of Houses told me, they were actually amusing the students and seemed to be drawing them together. What could I do to you since that was the case, seeing as that was one of my goals?” explained Minerva patiently, obviously enjoying Hermione’s discomfort.

“I didn’t want to upset you.” It was difficult to look up and meet the Headmistress’s eyes, so was so embarrassed. She had meant to have fun with her pranking but there was of course the secondary effect of disrupting the school to a degree. Of course the Headmistress would be upset with her over that.

“And you didn’t. Your pranks were certainly geared to being more playful than harmful. Albus loved these and Severus found some of them rather amusing as well when he heard about them, so you clearly did quite well with them. No, I am not angry with you at all Hermione, on the contrary. I think your pranks helped break the ice and allowed the students to get back to being kids again, to get away from the memories of war and death.” McGonagall seemed amused with how worried Hermione was over all of this.

Hermione sighed in relief, feeling the tension that had been building release. She wasn’t going to have her graduation pulled or anything and it was certainly a bit too late to expel her. She smiled a bit sheepishly, “That was my hope but I wasn’t sure how it would go over with the staff.”

“You did well.” McGonagall reached out and patted her arm. “Now please tell me you will stay in touch while you are going after your Doctorate? I do want to keep track of one of my favorite students.”

“Absolutely. I do like the idea of coming to work here so don’t be surprised when that happens,” replied Hermione, feeling that it wasn’t that impossible of a dream anymore. She could probably pull this off. After all, the Professor she looked up to more than any other had faith in her so perhaps she should as well.

“I shan’t dear girl.” Minerva hugged her warmly and moved off.

Hermione was a bit surprised at the revelation but not too much now that she had a moment to think about it. She knew McGonagall was quite smart and thus was more than able to figure out whom was behind the pranks, proof was always the sticking point with this sort of thing and they had always been so very careful to avoid leaving any of that. At least she wasn’t getting punished for them, which made her sigh in relief once again. As she looked around, it seemed as if the last few stragglers were making their way to the carriages and so she drifted outside to wait in the sun for her turn to ride down to the station, after it was obvious that there were no more students heading down. She blinked a few times at the brightness but then her eyes acclimated and she was fine. It really was a lovely day with only a few clouds in the sky and a light breeze.

While the last few students trundled up to the carriages, a few reminding her heavily of Ron, Madam Pomfrey came up to her, a friendly grin on her face. “Miss Granger, it was nice to work with you over this year but please take care of yourself now that you won’t have we there to watch over you.”

“Yes ma’am.” Hermione could only snicker in agreement because she knew the Healer was being very sincere, if a touch funny.

“It is a good thing that your treatment is over but do take care. There will always be remnants of this with you through all your days, so problems might crop up now and again. Please watch out for yourself.” She looked at Hermione with a great deal of concern.

“Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. You have taken great care of me.” And it was nothing but the absolute truth. Madam Pomfrey had done an amazing job caring for her the entire time she had been at this school and deserved all the thanks she could manage. She needed to check to see if Harry had done anything to express his thanks to her, given that he had the unfortunate distinction of being the student in her ward more than anyone else.

“It was my pleasure Miss Granger. You take care and try to take care of Miss Weasley as well, won’t you.” Madam Pomfrey gave her a slight smirk before walking off.

Hermione shook her head in amusement and walked towards the carriages. She hadn’t seen any more students for a few minutes so it was quite possible that it was time to go down to the station herself. She turned to face the school and looked at it, at what had been her home for so many years. So much of her life had happened here that it was rather amazing to think of it. This school had been central to her life for the last eight years and now she was leaving, perhaps not to see Hogwarts for a number of years to come. That notion made her rather sad as she had not been lying when she had said this school was like her home in a way. To know she wasn’t going to be walking these halls anymore, that she wouldn’t be seeing the Professors, having Topsy sit and talk with her for a while telling her about House Elves and life at Hogwarts, sitting in the Common Room watching the fire, trying to devour the library, it hurt. She wiped a few tears from the corners of her eyes and walked around the carriage, to the front, where she pet the thestral a few times. Luna had been correct; they were rather docile creatures once you got past their gaunt appearance. Heading back to the door of the carriage she looked at the great doors of the school one final time and her chest was tight and she could feel her lip quivering. This was not a goodbye she wanted to make. To not be returning here after the summer, that would take some getting used to. She smiled briefly, forcing it onto her face before she climbed into the carriage and closing the door.

The carriage lurched forward slightly as the thestral began to take her to the station and Hermione struggled to hold in her tears. It really did hurt to be leaving this place that had been so much more than a home to her over the years. She was glad she was alone because it would have been a touch embarrassing to have a few tears slide free, like they were doing, in front of someone she did not know. Having Ginny here would have been perfect but she knew she couldn’t have everything. The further the carriage drew from the school, the more tears fell. The ride was both blissfully short and agonizingly long yet all too soon she was stopped at Hogsmeade station and the Hogswart Express. She wiped her eyes carefully and checked her face to make sure she didn’t look like a raccoon thanks to smeared makeup. It was time.

With a final glance back towards the castle, she checked the platform and entered the train, moving towards the Prefect carriage with a focus. This would be her last time doing this and she was kind of nervous. The meeting was thankfully brief and the other Prefects all agreed that she and Cameron really did not need to do anything on the ride back to London unless there was an emergency. It was a goodbye gift from all of them. Both of them appreciated it and said their thanks. With that taken care of, Hermione headed down the train in search of her love.

Strangely enough they were not in a compartment at the very back of the train, but rather towards the middle. This was an interesting development but she did appreciate the shorter walk, as it also meant she got to see Ginny sooner. Her emotions and thoughts were still a bit jumbled when Hermione slid the door open and walked in. Luna glanced up at her from an old copy of the Quibbler and frowned. Hermione quirked an eyebrow at this and asked from the doorway, “What?”

Luna spoke slowly, kind of like how a normal person might talk to another in the presence of a dangerous animal. “Ginny, I don’t wish to alarm you, but your fiancée is in need of a treatment.”

Before Hermione could say anything, Ginny bound to her feet, grabbed her, and kissed her soundly, turning her into a bit of a dip. The kiss made Hermione a touch light headed and she swooned ever so slightly thus she sort of fell into Ginny’s lap when she was pulled gently down at the end. Luna grinned brightly and said approvingly, “Much better. The Wrackspurt infestation is gone.”

Hermione stuck her tongue out in response to this as Lucy giggled. Giving her a questioning look, Hermione then asked, “Honestly Luna, did you really need to see me snogged?”

Luna looked up at her innocently, no guile anywhere on her face, “I was only looking out for your health Hermione, like any good friend should.”

Ginny snickered at the slight scowl on Hermione’s face before she said, “So, another year gone. It’s so hard to believe that it’s over and we’re out of school for good, well most of us.”

“All things come to an end, you know that Ginny. But since this comes to an end new things get to start, like your Quidditch career,” commented Luna looking dreamily out the window at the rolling Scottish countryside.

“As well as our lives together,” stated Hermione rather happily. This was the part she was most excited about. She and Ginny, living together, forever, in their own place and able to do what they wanted, that notion boggled her mind in such a lovely manner, to have no one telling them what to do or where to be and no rules but their own. She did like the sound of that. “We can either get a flat or buy a house or something. We can certainly afford it.”

“Do you still plan on getting married this summer?” asked Lucy with a great deal of interest.

Hermione and Ginny turned to face each other with a grin, each of their faces lighting up in pleasure. “Absolutely. We have it planned for the middle of August. We just have to let our parent’s know the exact date so we can get planning. Thankfully magic will make this all so much easier to pull together than it is in the muggle world.”

Luna snickered, shaking her head at them, obviously tickled by something she said. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she asked, “Let me guess, it’s set for a year and a day after you two got together?”

Ginny and Hermione looked at her a bit surprised while the blond just shook her head and continued, “You really are a touch predictable Hermione.”

“What? I thought it was romantic,” protested Hermione, trying to defend her point of view.

“Did I say it wasn’t? It just happens to be romantic in a very you sort of way,” pointed out Luna. “You really do like things to be symbolic if you can get them that way. It’s not a bad thing.”

Lucy giggled again. There was no doubt that her younger sister was enjoying all of this, the banter, the teasing between the three older girls. She had enjoyed it ever since they had met her.

Hermione just rolled her eyes, unsure what to say in order to argue against what Luna was stating or if that would do any good. There was some truth to that but she didn’t think she was that predictable. And it was romantic. Ginny had thought so when she had brought it up and had snogged her senseless so clearly it wasn’t that bad of an idea. Ginny seemed to ignore the whole thing at the moment as she turned to Luna and asked, “You’re still going to be my Maid of Honor, right?”

“Unless Nargles steal me away beforehand, absolutely. I am also looking forward to seeing Harry in his Maid of Honor dress. He will look so lovely with flowers in his hair and everything,” said Luna rather dreamily, the faint smile curling up the corners of her lips.

The other girls started snickering at that, as they could sort of see the image Luna was talking about themselves and it was painfully cute and a touch wrong in all the fun ways. Hermione shook her head to clear it. She hadn’t planned on doing that to her brother but maybe making it seem that way would be fun, at least for a little bit. Luna would certainly enjoy it and the slight panic in Harry’s eyes was a sight she had sort of missed this year. Maybe if it was done for one of the fittings? Magical dresses were easy to alter and that would make for a good laugh. She was sure Harry would grumble but go along with it just to make her and Luna happy. He was awesome that way. Who cared if it scandalized the adults, it was her and Ginny’s wedding so they could be as playful as they wanted.

“Did we want any other bridesmaids?” asked Ginny, thinking over things, being actually a touch serious at the moment, which drew Hermione’s attention quickly.

“I’m not sure. If you can get another one then Lucy here can be one of mine. We can also use Amy as a flower girl,” stated Hermione, smiling at her sister.

As Lucy looked excited at the prospect, Ginny grinned at the young girl and said, “I think I can manage to scrounge someone up just so we can make that happen.”

“Really?” squeaked Lucy, vibrating she was so excited.

“Really.” Ginny could only smile at that.

“This is so not how I thought my year would go when I left for school,” commented Lucy, shaking her head in wonder.

The other three laughed knowingly. They were very familiar with that idea. Hermione had such high hopes only to have them dashed and then to have them raised again and that was only in her first two months. So, yeah, she understood what Lucy was talking about. “Yeah, we get that.”

Luna looked thoughtful for a moment as she contemplated something before sharing. “I wonder if Lucy’s year even comes close to some of the years we’ve had in terms of how much things changed, you know, how different things were from the beginning of the year to the end.”

“Well I have to admit that Lucy certainly has a seriously lead in that category. Harry is the only one whose life might be as insane, if not more so, on a year to year basis,” said Ginny as she pondered the notion as well.

“Says the girl who opened the Chamber of Secrets.” tossed back Hermione with a smirk.

“I happen to recall that a certain someone was part cat thanks to a potions mishap that year as well?” riposted Ginny with a wink.

“Really?” asked Lucy. Hermione knew she had never heard this particular story before as it was one she was loathe to share.

“Oh yes. Only Harry, Ron, and Madam Pomfrey ever saw her afterwards but from what I heard she was quite the catgirl after taking the polyjuice potion with the cat hair in it. It took a while to sort that mess out.”

Luna snickered, hiding her face in her magazine. Hermione stuck her tongue out at Ginny who raised an eyebrow in interest, which drew a slight blush from Hermione. This earned more snickers.

“So, school is finally over. We need to find a place to stay and get things started from there. What are you planning on doing Luna?” asked Hermione, trying to move the topic away from her yet again.

“I’m going to do a bit of traveling with Harry. Then after we return and I move in with him, I’m going to start the Quibbler up again. My father messed things up a good bit with what he did during the war and the magazine got all but destroyed but I think there are still interesting stories to be told that the magazine would be the perfect format for. Besides, it lets me explore and write about it. How much fun is that?” Luna grinned excitedly.

Hermione smiled. Luna really did have a drive and an interest in the unknown that was almost impossible to smother just like her interest in knowledge. As for her creatures, they certainly begged scrutiny and study before disregarding them as mere fancy. There did seem to be some kernel of truth to her stories and if for no other reason that would be enough to warrant further study. “Well, make sure to save a subscription for me. I don’t want to miss a single issue.”

Luna leaned forward and hugged Hermione. “Thank you.”

Their talk wandered all over the place as the day wore on and they barely stopped when the lunch trolley came by, though they did get a good selection of both food and sweets to tide them over until supper. And as the countryside rolled by taking them ever closer towards London others came by to say goodbye to the Seniors as they would not be returning come the fall. Hermione had not realized how popular she was as it seemed like most of the school stopped by to talk briefly with them and say their goodbyes. There were even a few Slytherins in that mix besides Cameron which was a touch surprising. All in all it was a lovely last ride of the Express, especially given that it was sans Malfoy and company to muck things up with their nonsense. That was one of her favorite things from the year, to be honest. True the bullies had been annoying but at least they had been sneaky and not constantly in your face.

Before too long they pulled into King’s Cross station and slowly came to a stop, the train settling into place. They exited the Express for the last time behind the greater portion of the wave of students and they could easily see the bright red of the other Weasleys in the crowd. It was such a distinguishing feature that how could anyone miss it even from a distance? They spotted Fleur pretty fast, as her blond hair was like a beacon amongst that sea of red. Harry took a little bit more effort to spot given his height disparity amongst some of the Weasleys but his wild hair did help with spotting him. Her parents were off to the side talking to the elder Weasleys and that seemed perfectly normal to her. Life was good. Lucy grinned when she saw them and took off running, yelling, “Mum!”

Amy turned at that sound, eyes going wide when she spotted her and yelled, “’mione!”

While her Mum hugged Lucy, Hermione had to deal with a six year old missile of excitement. It was a bit of an effort but she was able to lift her so she could hug her more firmly and keep her aloft. “Hey there Amy, I missed you.”

“I missed you too. Pepper was sad and cried a few times but I told her you would be home soon so she has been trying not to miss you too much.” reported Amy quite seriously.

Hermione’s heart melted just a bit more over the young girl and she hugged her again, saying, “Well, I will be at home for quite a while this summer. Ginny and I need to find a place for us to live together and we decided to stay at our house while we did so. That means you and I get to spend more time together all summer long.”

This was clearly great news for her youngest sister as she threw her hands ups “Yay! We can do all sorts of things. We can read stories and play and go to the park and you can show me the Patroro spell again and everything.”

Ginny came up and took Amy from a chuckling Hermione, who couldn’t help but notice that Hermione’s arms were trembling slightly under the weight of the six year old. Hermione was sure she had less trouble holding her, given her greater upper body strength, something Hermione did like. She grinned at her sister who was now hugging the redhead. “You bet. It will be all sorts of fun.”

Harry walked over from where he had been snogging Luna hello, hugged Hermione warmly, and said, “Hi sis.”

“Hi Harry.” She beamed at him, so happy to see him out and about in a crowd like this. Clearly the treatment had also worked well for him.

“So you’re all done with school.” It was a statement more than a question.

“At least for now.” She replied. “Have more important things to take care of this summer than school.”

“What could be more important than school?” teased Harry.

“Prat,” replied Hermione with no heat. That was a perfectly fair question coming from Harry.

“Look can we talk later, I’ve been thinking about me and Luna and I could sort of use your advice.” Harry looked a bit nervous as he watched the blond talk with the Weasleys.

“Absolutely Harry. What’s family for after all.” She reached out and patted his arm comfortingly. Was Harry actually that serious about him and Luna? But they had barely spent any time together. Yes, they would have to talk. She had no problem with them together but she felt that the two should spend more time together before Harry did anything rash like propose. But then again it was Harry and rash was what he did best.

“Thank you. Now let’s get you all home and settled. Your parents and I made reservations someplace nice so the whole lot of us can go eat together. Dinner should be nice and fun if a bit chaotic.”

She narrowed her eyes as she looked at him, trying to suss out what he had in mind. “The whole lot? Harry… what do you have planned?”

“Me? Why would I have planned anything?” protested Harry, trying to assert his innocence.

“Because I have met you before Harry James Potter and I know the way you are,” countered Hermione, trying to run various scenarios through her head to determine which one was most likely. Honestly there were too many for her to figure it out with the data she had.

“It’ll be fun. Trust me.” He grinned his usual smile at her and she rolled her eyes before hugging him. He really was hopeless but she did love him anyway. There wasn’t much she could do about the fact that he was a git but at least he was less of a git than Ron for the most part. However, there were times when Ron came across as the rational one, which was always terrifying. It was like they enjoyed switching places sometimes just to be infuriating.

They headed towards the rest of the mob that was their family and Hermione thought to herself, while watching Ron talk to Luna as Ginny took her in her arms that she did know her place and it was most definitely here with those who loved her. Bellatrix had been nothing but wrong in the end, thought Hermione as she glanced at her left forearm, because she knew who she was and it was not the identity this scar written in her body had tried to foist on her, but rather it was written in the love that embraced her and surrounded her. This was the truth it had taken her a while to learn, a truth that, amusingly enough, Bellatrix had set her on the course to find. Despite everything they had gone through, all the pain, all the joy, all the struggle, the ring sitting on her fiancée’s finger symbolizing her love and the look of devotion in Ginny’s eyes was all the reminder she would ever need of what was really true, of the love written in her heart.


	51. Epilogue

Epilogue

_Sixteen years later…_

Platform 9 and ¾ was quite crowded, this being the first of September and all. Families were scattered about the platform saying goodbye to their children, the air filled with a cacophony of sound between voices and the engine. The students were with family, meeting up, as well as bustling onto the Hogwarts Express, lugging their trunks behind them. Into this maelstrom of students and parents, the Weasley family and friends managed to wind its way through the crowd, their notoriety actually opening up some space for them to move. Ginny looked about and said, “I think it’s more crowded then when we went.”

As an aside, Hermione commented to her wife, “I told you about the post War population boom and the effect it would have on the school back when the numbers first started coming in. Did you forget? It’s a known sociological fact.”

“Well, yeah, but that’s different than seeing all these people crowded onto the Platform getting ready to head to the school,” replied Ginny.

Hermione rolled her eyes, staying close to their daughters, Rose Elizabeth and Emmaline Grace who were pushing their carts. Ginny was walking with their youngest and the only one she had carried, Harry George, holding his hand. All their children had auburn curly hair, a mix of both parents but it was thankfully much tamer than Hermione’s and less as obviously a Weasley red as Ginny’s hair. Rose, their oldest, was getting ready to start her third year but Emma was heading off for her first year and was rather nervous about the whole notion, sticking close to Hermione for comfort.

Just behind them Harry and Luna were walking with their two children, their eldest James Sirius who had started Hogwarts the same year as Rose and Lily Selene who was also starting her first year. Luna and Hermione had enjoyed spending their pregnancies together and had made Harry and Ginny run amuck taking care of them and searching for various foodstuffs. Luna had been especially good at that. Harry looked about for his godson, finally spotting the seventh year where he expected and called out, “Teddy, stop flirting with Victoire and help James and Lily with their trunks.”

Teddy groaned in annoyance and turned from where he had been standing near Bill and Fleur to look over at them, their daughter and his girlfriend laughing behind her hand at what had occurred. He whined just a bit as he complained, “Uncle Harry… I’m busy.”

“Yes, yes, I know, but you both have a whole train ride to do that.” Harry was smirking the whole while at their discomfort. “Hold on to your hormones.”

Luna smacked him lightly on the arm and said, “Behave Harry. I think they’re cute.” She then turned and looked over the crowd and scanned everyone clearly looking for someone. “Ron and Pansy are late again.”

Ginny snickered at that and commented, “Pansy would be on time if she had her way. It’s my idiot brother that keeps making her late. You know how he is. I really hope their son takes after his mother more than him. I can at least hope.”

Hermione shook her head, chuckling a touch as she said, “Honestly, did you ever think you would say something positive like that about Pansy Parkinson of all people?”

“Not back in our days at school. But then again, she’s not the same woman she was then, that’s for sure.” Ginny grinned. “And she so has control of Ron, except for being able to get him anywhere on time.”

Harry snickered in agreement, “You know it couldn’t happen to a better mate. With all of his complaining about your Mum and being late, that’s just funny. And him and Pansy is fitting really with how much he ranted about Slytherins back in the day.”

“Dad, Rose and I want to meet up with our friends,” said James, somewhat impatiently. He had his father’s wild hair and temperament to a large degree and it was in moments like this that it really showed. “Can we go?”

Luna smiled at her son and said, “Of course, but hugs first. Now James, can you help Lily onto the train and into a compartment before you take off? You wouldn’t want nargles to run off with her stuff now would you?”

“Yes mum.” The young man grinned as he hugged his mother. “I’ll make sure the nargles don’t take her things. You can count on me.”

Emma turned and looked up at her mother, seeming a bit scared and excited about this, biting her lower lip in a manner very similar to her own. “I’m worried about the sorting Momma.”

Hermione hugged her daughter, kissing her on the forehead. Thanks to Ron and George all the kids had been nervous about the sorting to the point where she kind of wanted to smack them. “Don’t be my brave little pup. You will be amazing in whatever House you are in because you are a Weasley and we’re the best. And you know your Uncle Harry and I will be there if you ever need us, even if we can’t play favorites, as will your Auntie Minnie. There is nothing to worry about. Besides remember your Auntie Hannah, she was a wonderful Hufflepuff. You love Auntie Luna, who was Ravenclaw. And Aunt Pansy was Slytherin so you know good people in our family from all the Houses. If you don’t end up Gryffindor like your sister, that’s okay and certainly doesn’t make you a bad person no matter what your Uncle Ron says. We will still love you with all that we have, Emmaline. How could we not love our little cuddle pup?”

Her daughter giggled as her mother tickled her a little before she hugged her. “Miss you Momma Otter.” She then scampered over to Ginny and went to hug her as well. “I’ll miss you Mum.”

“Hey now, I’ll be coming to see you as often as the season allows. Can’t have my favorite fan miss me too much while she’s at school, can I?” Ginny grinned down at her daughter, hugging her tightly.

Emma giggled a little and shook her head. “No.”

“You’ll be fine. You have Lily in your year as well to hang out with which should be nice. Besides you don’t think Rose and James are going to look out for you, as well as Teddy and Victoire? You’ll be the safest little pup in all of Hogwarts. Us Weasley Otters take care of our own.” Ginny raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

Emma nodded her head, relaxing even more. “Yes Mum.”

Ginny crouched down a little to look her daughter in the eye, her own gaze soft. “You know your Momma and I will miss you, not to mention H.G., so this does cut both ways. But your Momma gets to see you every now and then when you take Transfiguration and that’s unfair. I’m gonna miss you Emma baby. So are you ready to start this great adventure?”

Emma bit her bottom lip nervously as she thought about her answer and then she nodded slowly, her eyes cutting to the crimson engine of the Hogwarts Express. After hugs and kisses were passed around to all the kids, the four youngsters headed off to the Express, trailed by Teddy and Victoire. Both pairs of parents were hugging each other, watching them go. H.G. called out as he waved enthusiastically, “Bye Sissy, miss you both! Write to me!”

The girls turned back and waved at their parents and boarded the train. Harry watching this with his arms around Luna, commented, “It never seems to get any easier, does it?”

The other adults concurred as they watched in silence, Ginny pulling H.G. into her arms.

Ron and Pansy bustled up to the group of them with their son, Gideon, all of them looking a touch frazzled, which made Pansy look especially annoyed at her husband. Ron looked about and then frowned as he asked, “Did we miss them? Are they already on the train?”

The others looked at their longtime friend and started laughing at how lost and confused he was. Despite all of their growing up and responsibilities, some things just never changed. Pansy smacked him lightly in the back of the head as the two late arrivals bustled their son onto the train just in time for it to head off towards Hogwarts for another school year. Hermione hugged her wife from behind, resting her head on the redhead’s shoulder, sighing in contentment. All was well.


End file.
